PONDA: After the recent police attack on Hanumant Parab, a farmer leader from Pissurlem; yet another show of brutality by the men-in-khaki was reported at Kodar River on the occasion of Holi on Friday, wherein two cops in civil clothes assaulted a Curti youth, who was on a picnic with his friends at the spot.
Speaking to media persons, the victim 24-year-old Mahesh Jaiswal from Curti claimed that two policemen Rama Khanekar and Omkar Mankar attached to the Ponda Police Station, dressed in civil clothes, visited the Kodar River for a bath and for no reason brutally assaulted him with dandas while he and his friends were on a picnic on the occasion of Holi at the spot on Friday evening.
Jaiswal claimed that the police alleged that the victim and his friends had shown disrespect to them. The victim further claimed that the two policemen abused him with filthy language and later assaulted him with a wooden danda at least 50 times. Jaiswal said he sustained injuries to his back and legs.
Jaiswal showed the bruises he sustained in the attack by the policemen to the media.
He said the two policemen started a brawl with him over a petty issue. The cops, at first, left the spot, but after a few minutes, returned in police uniform and started assaulting him with dandas, which left him badly injured.
He said the policemen later brought him and his friends to the police station. They were later released.
The victim said when he tried to file a complaint of assault the two cops denied assaulting him and his friends.
However, the youth with the support of locals late night lodged a complaint against the duo.
In this connection, the Ponda police registered an offence under Sections 324, 504 r/w 34 of the IPC. The two policemen were immediately placed under suspension.
According to Ponda DySP C L Patil, on the occasion of Holi, policemen were deployed at various sensitive areas where nuisance was expected to take place due to liquor consumption. Two constables Rama Khanekar and Omkar Mankar attached to Ponda “Police Station were posted at Kodar. However, when the two cops asked the four youth and victim, who were consuming alcohol, to leave the area, a brawl erupted wherein the cops were abused”, he said.
“Later the cops were suspended after victim Mahesh Jaiswal (24) from Curti complained that he was assaulted by two cops on duty after the brawl erupted between them at Kodar. The bruises were noticed on Jaiswal’s body”, he added.
He said Police Department suspended them on Friday after conducting an inquiry.
He said the department has condemned the incident. “First the police have to abide by the law and deliver justice to the people. They are expected to handle the situation patiently especially during festivals, however the ugly incident took place”, he said.
