Better to sell egg rice than be a cop, says Karnataka Constable on WhatsApp status; probe ordered

The Karnataka Police department has ordered a probe in connection with a WhatsApp status posted by a Constable saying that it is "better to sell egg rice than be a cop."

The development was reported from Koppal district in Karnataka on Monday.

According to police, the Constable, identified as Bramhanand, reportedly vented his anger over the functioning of the police department through WhatsApp status messages. The social media status was posted in response to a statement made by Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) M.A. Saleem regarding the recruitment of 8,300 police personnel.

In his WhatsApp status, Constable Bramhanand wrote, “We have to be on duty 365 days a year, with not even a single day of leave. Selling egg rice is better than police duty.”

He is also said to have posted another status stating, “Think a hundred times before joining the police department, and if possible, it is better to join some other department.”

These status messages went viral on social media and have triggered discussions within the police department. In view of the seriousness of the matter, Koppal District Superintendent of Police Ram L. Arasiddi has ordered an enquiry against Constable Bramhanand.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, and police sources said that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry report.

It can be recalled that an enraged Constable shot dead a Sub-Inspector in their police station near Bengaluru when he was denied leave after working for over 30 hours in 2013. Police Constable Anand Kumar, 45, was arrested for fatally shooting police SI Vijay Kumar, 38, in the Rajanukunte police station. The incident had taken place after a heated argument on being denied leave and change of duty.

It can also be recalled that a Sub-Inspector in Bengaluru Rural district was previously suspended for abusing a senior officer in public after a heated argument over a vehicle permit. In the 2018 incident, Sub-Inspector M. Srinivas, attached to the Vishwanathapura police station, was suspended after a video of him abusing the jurisdictional inspector went viral on social media. The Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police at the time stated that the junior officer had violated the code of conduct and should have escalated the matter through proper channels. An enquiry was initiated following the suspension.