People losing faith in goonda police: MLA

BANGALORE: The state police have stopped being guardians of citizens, but turned to violence and goondaism, AIPJD floor leader B Somashekar charged in the Assembly on Thursday.
Citing the example of Wednesday''s Kalasipalayam incident in Bangalore and the lock-up death of a person in Pavagada, Tumkur, Somashekar said: "How can we have faith in police if they go in for murder and goondaism?"
The public in Kalasipalayam had seen the police chasing a 15-year-old boy on the streets and beating him."There was lathi-charge against the people. The police commissioner went there, but did not take any action. Please suspend the concerned police officials and let the CoD probe the case," Somashekar added.
On the Pavagada incident, Somashekar said the accused in the alleged lockup death was an SI. "Please suspend him too and work towards restoring public faith in the police," he added.
When Pavagada MLA Venkataramanappa rose to give his version of the incident, AIPJD legislators raised a hue and cry demanding a reply from home minister Mallikarjun M. Kharge first. At this juncture chief minister S.M. Krishna said: "The Pavagada MLA has the right to talk about incidents in his constituency."
Kharge said he would give a reply on the two issues only on Friday.
Finally, Venkataramanappa got to speak. "The police have arrested a man for gambling. En route to the police station, he got fits and was taken to hospital. But he died before he got there," he explained.