PSI accused of forcing Dalit youth to drink urine arrested

Chickmagalur: The Chickmagalur district and sessions court has remanded police sub inspector Arjun in 14 days judicial custody on Thursday.

Arjun allegedly forced a Dalit youth to drink urine when he was working as SHO in Ginibeedu police station in Mudigere taluk.

Arjun was arrested by a team headed by Superintendent of Police Ravi D. Channannavar on Wednesday night in Bengaluru, sources said.

The police in Gonibeedu had picked up Punith K.L. on May 10 in connection with an elopement case probed by SI Arjun. Arjun allegedly tortured Punith and asked another youth to urinate on his face. Punith was also asked to lick the urine on the floor.

The matter came to light when the Dalit youth wrote a letter to the police department and the Human Rights Commission. An FIR was registered in this connection against the accused police officer on May 22.

When the incident came to light various Dalit organizations staged protests and the action of the sub-inspector drew flak from across Karnataka forcing higher officials to order a probe into the incident.

Based on the complaint filed by Punith, the Gonibeedu police registered a case against Arjun under sections of the IPC related to wrongful confinement, causing hurt, torture, wrongful confinement to extort a confession, besides the provisions under the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities).

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 Criminal Investigation Department.

The Karnataka High Court turned down the plea of accused sub-inspector Arjun to quash the charges against him in the case in July.