Two police officers from Karnataka's Haveri district have been removed from their posts following a serious lapse in duty. The action comes after they failed to prevent a shocking public assault on a government school teacher.
Details of the Incident and Police Inaction
The suspended officers are Inspector S Devanand and Head Constable Mallikarjun Odunav, both posted at the Savanur police station. Their suspension is directly linked to an incident that occurred on December 10. On that day, a teacher named Jagadish Vaggannavar, who works at a government Urdu school, was subjected to public humiliation.
Vaggannavar was accused of sexually harassing female students. In response, a group of individuals took the law into their own hands. The teacher was garlanded with slippers and paraded publicly in a degrading manner. The local police, despite likely being aware of the escalating situation, did not intervene effectively to stop this vigilante action.
Departmental Inquiry and Suspension Orders
Superintendent of Police Yashoda Vantagodi took swift cognizance of the matter. She gathered preliminary information about the incident and the role of her subordinates. A detailed report was then submitted to the Eastern Zone Inspector General of Police, BR Ravikanthe Gowda.
Based on the findings in this report, IGP BR Ravikanthe Gowda ordered the suspension of Circle Police Inspector (CPI) Devanand. The IGP also directed a formal departmental inquiry to investigate the officer's conduct and failures thoroughly. Following this, SP Yashoda Vantagodi issued the suspension order for Head Constable Mallikarjun Odunav, completing the disciplinary action against the primary officers responsible for law and order in the area at the time.
Consequences and Zero-Tolerance Policy
The suspensions highlight a strict stance against negligence within the police force. The primary duty of the police is to protect citizens and prevent such mob justice, regardless of the allegations against an individual. The failure to do so represents a severe dereliction of duty.
This case underscores the importance of police accountability, especially in sensitive situations involving public anger and allegations of crimes like sexual harassment. The departmental inquiry will now determine if further action is warranted against the suspended officers.
