The Criminal Investigating Department (CID) sleuths, probing the case of a Dalit youth allegedly forced to drink urine while in custody, have arrested the prime accused, police sources said on Thursday, 2 September.
Arjun, a former sub-inspector (SI) at the Gonibeedu police station in Chikkamagalur district, was arrested by the team headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravi D Channannavar on Wednesday night in Bengaluru, sources said.
The police in Gonibeedu had picked up Punith KL on 10 May in connection with an elopement case, which was being probed by SI Arjun. Arjun allegedly tortured Punith and asked another youth to urinate on his face. It has also been charged that Punith was asked to lick the urine on the floor.
The matter came to light when Punith wrote a letter to the police department and the Human Rights Commission. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered in this connection against the accused police officer Arjun on 22 May. Following the backlash, the accused police officer was kept under suspension.
Meanwhile, a rape case was lodged against Punith and his relatives but he obtained bail in the case. Both the cases are being investigated by the CID.
The Karnataka High Court had turned down the plea of accused SI Arjun to quash charges against him in the case in July.
He had withdrawn the application seeking quashing of the case. The court had also directed the police not to take any coercive measures and file a charge sheet in the case.
Various organisations in the state have planned a massive protest this week demanding the arrest of the accused SI.
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