Taking serious note of an alleged police assault on a citizen at Humnabad in Bidar district on Wednesday, Bidar Superintendent of Police Nagesh D.L. placed, on the same evening, Basavaraj, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police attached to Humnabad Police Station, under suspension with immediate effect pending a departmental enquiry. The SP, in his suspension order, said that he prima facie found the ASI guilty of serious negligence and irresponsibility in discharging his duties.
As per the information available, Hafiz Naseeruddin, a 35-year old Imam of a local masjid, who was going to a market on his motorcycle at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, was allegedly stopped and assaulted with a baton by Mr. Basavaraj who was on duty at Kallur Road Bridge in the town to enforce the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Naseeruddin sustained a nasal fracture in the incident. He was immediately rushed to the District Hospital in Kalaburagi.
In a video message that later went viral showing the image of a bleeding Naseeruddin, Abdul Rahim Patel, a local leader of the Social Democratic Party of India, questioned the Humnabad police as to what legal provision had empowered them to brutally attack a citizen when they were directed to use minimum force to enforce the lockdown.
“The police could have hit the thighs, legs or back of the man if he was defying the order in force. Instead, they directly hit him on the face. Another question is why the injured man was taken to Kalaburagi hospital travelling for one-and-a-half hour instead of immediately rushing him to a local hospital in Humnabad. While hitting Mr. Naseeruddin, the police referred to the attendees of Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz and blamed the entire Muslim community for the spread of COVID-19 in India. It shows how the police force is completely biased and prejudiced,” he said.
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