Opposition to BJP’s decision to suspend inspectors for allowing crowding in police stations

Inspector Manjunath Nayak of Khanapur police station has been suspended pending investigation for allegedly arresting BJP MLC CT Ravi and bringing him to the station for not stopping the gathering of mobs at the station.

Right after the end of the winter session, Ravi was arrested for allegedly making insulting comments on Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar outside Suvarna Soudh.

Hire Bagewadi police had earlier taken him into custody and sent him to Nandgarh and Khanapur police stations. He was later taken to Ramdurg from where he was brought to Belagavi and produced before the Magistrate Court.

More than a hundred are collected

Led by Khanapur MLA and BJP leader Vitthal Halgekar, a crowd of over 100 gathered in front of the Khanapur police station. They have demanded an explanation from the police as to why the accused who was arrested in Suvarna Soudh was brought to Khanapur. They also helped Mr. Ravi file a complaint against the alleged assault on him by Ms. Hebbalkar’s supporters.

The BJP criticized Mr. Ravi for being taken to the police station. He said that by arresting the MLA, the police violated the rules and established a tradition.

In the assembly, the leader of the opposition party, R. Ashok, also accused Ravi of physical and mental torture by the police.

The commissioner defends

City Police Commissioner Iyada Martin Marbaniang defended Ravi’s safety saying that this was done. “Intelligence had received that an angry mob chased the minister after his alleged insult. That’s why it moved,’ said the commissioner.

Mr. Halgekar termed the suspension of the police officer as a “political decision” and not an administrative decision. Meanwhile, the taluka unit of the BJP has called for a protest in Khanapur on Friday against the suspension.

Meanwhile, Nayak has asked various groups in Khanapur not to protest or shut down in support of him. I am confident that the department will get justice. I appeal to everyone not to protest,” he said in a social media post on Wednesday.