MLA’s son, brother among 8 booked for assaulting cop

Police have booked eight people, including the son of JD (S) MLA Karemma Nayak, her brother, and her personal assistant, for allegedly assaulting a constable.

Belagavi:

The constable said, the accused kicked him brutally (HT)

The Belagavi police have booked eight people, including Santosh, the son of Janata Dal (Secular) MLA from Devadurga, Karemma Nayak, her brother Timma Reddy, and her personal assistant Ilyas, for allegedly assaulting a constable on Sunday night. The incident occurred when Hanumantrao Nayak stopped a tractor carrying sand illegally from the Dodamballi and Gopalpur sand mining area, he told police.

In his police complaint, constable Hanumantrao said, the tractor driver called up Santosh and asked the constable to speak with him. Santosh introduced himself as the MLA’s son and warned him against taking any action against the tractor or its driver. However, Hanumantrao proceeded to take the vehicle to the police station.

Later at night, he received a call from Santosh instructing him to come to the government Inspection Bungalow (IB).

“Soon after receiving the call from MLA’s son, Santosh, I reached the IB where I was taken into a room with the lights turned off and the CCTV camera’s connection disconnected. There, about 20 people, including Santosh, Timma Reddy and Ilyas were present. Nearly eight people out of them, including the three named kicked me brutally. They even didn’t tell me my mistake,” said Hanumantrao who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Devadurga.

“Santosh, Timma Reddy and Ilyas have been booked along with eight others under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” said Raichur superintendent of police (SP) Nikhil B.

Meanwhile, MLA Karemma held a protest with her supporters outside the Devadurga police station on Monday, accusing the police department of siding with her political rivals.

“The police department has used constable Hanumantrao to frame illegal charges against my son, brother, PA, and others,” she said, adding that she would raise the matter in the ongoing budget session.

Describing it as an unfortunate incident, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president from Raichur Shiva Patil said, the family members of MLA Karemma, who had protested illegal sand mining in the past, were now allegedly involved in the same illegal activities.