A college student in Bengaluru has accused police officers of assaulting him on the outskirts of the city on Saturday, May 13. Taking to social media, Sairaj Natraj detailed an alleged incident of police violence which occurred at Chandapura circle in Anekal taluk when he and his cousin were stuck on their two-wheeler in traffic congestion due to the celebrations of the Congress's victory in the recently concluded Karnataka Assembly elections.
Sairaj alleged that he and his cousin were physically assaulted by a police officer, and posted pictures of injuries on their hands and legs. Deccan Herald reported that the officer on duty was Krishnamurthy S of Suryanagar police station, who was controlling the traffic at Chandapura circle due to the celebrations over election results.
Sairaj, who was riding the two-wheeler, said that when he crossed the circle and went straight, his cousin gestured to him and asked him to take a right turn instead. According to Sairaj, the police officer misunderstood this and assumed that they had scolded him. The officer allegedly seized their bike key, verbally abused them and detained them inside a police booth nearby, according to Sairaj. Sairaj alleged that the police officers in the booth forced them to squat, slapped him, and beat up the two of them with lathis. He also alleged that they were not allowed to talk or make any phone calls and were detained for about 45 minutes, until they “begged” the police officers to let them go.
The real face of @BlrCityPolice has been seen today and this humiliation can never be forgotten. My cousin and I (college students), were beaten up by 4-5 policemen in Chandapura circle, Anekal taluk. More details will be updated soon.
— Sairaj Natraj (@SairajNatraj_10) May 13, 2023
@CPBlr #bengaluru #police
While Sairaj initially brought the allegations to the notice of Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Pratap Reddy on Twitter, he later stated that there was “slight misunderstanding from both sides,” and thanked the police for their “genuine response.” Sairaj said that officers from the Suryanagar police station had reached out to him.
Mallikarjun Baldandi, Superintendent of Police for Bengaluru Rural, said that an inquiry will be conducted and that Siraj’s detailed statement will be recorded.