Top Bangalore police officers in public spat

In an unseemly friction in Bangalore police top brass, a senior IPS officer, accused of clicking "objectionable" pictures of a woman in a coffee shop, has filed a complaint against city police chief accusing him of atrocity under the SC/ST Act.

P Ravindranath, who was shifted as Additional DGP of Karnataka State Reserve Police after he faced the charge by a woman, filed the complaint against Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar, police said.

The ugly turn came a day after the fight spilled on to the streets on Wednesday when a section of KSRP personnel staged protests alleging that Ravindranath was being framed and targeted Auradkar for it.

"Under SC/ST atrocities prevention act I have filed a complaint that as I am a member of Scheduled caste, I have been implicated in a false case," Ravindranath said.

The Commissioner has tutored the complainant (woman) to file such complaint (against me), he alleged.

"I have lodged a complaint against DCP Ravikanthe Gowda, and Commissioner Auradkar," he said, claiming he was awaiting acknowledgement for it.

Karnataka government today said it was awaiting CID report on the case.

"The case is now handed over to the CID. We are awaiting the CID report. After getting the report we will take action," Home Minister K J George told media persons.

Ravindranath is facing an FIR for allegedly outraging a woman's modesty after he tried to click her pictures on his mobile phone at a coffee shop here on Monday.

In a protest marked by histrionics, Ravindranath had on Wednesday stormed into Auradkar's chamber and dared the city police chief to arrest him.

George on Thursday said, "....he (Ravindranath) is a good officer, he himself has voluntarily resigned now, he wanted to be arrested. I told him we cannot arrest like that, and we will have to investigate the matter."

"We will take his views also, we will take complainants views also. Investigation will take all aspects into consideration," he said.

George said Ravindranath has submitted his resignation to the DGP and the Chief Minister had to decide on it.

Asked about the protest by some KSRP personnel, he said "they should not indulge in any kind of protest and cause inconvenience to the public, if they indulge in such activity they will have to face disciplinary action."

Auradkar said "officials have registered a case based on the complaint received. Now the CID has been asked to probe the case, they will look into all aspects and take action."

On Ravindranath being put behind bars, he said "Sub-inspector and Inspector's version is that they had not put him (Ravindranath) inside the lockup, instead he himself went inside the lockup."

In response to allegations over his being involved to frame Ravindranath, Auradkar said "I was not at the spot when the incident happened; I was attending a meeting at Vidhana Soudha. As soon as I got to know about the incident, I informed about it to senior officials."

"....I don't know why I am being blamed, I don't want to comment on it anymore," he added.