Bengaluru, March 25 – An incident has come to light in which a Bengaluru Police Inspector is alleged to have harassed a woman and forced her to entertain him. The alleged audio clips and messages containing the conversation went viral on social media, causing embarrassment to the police department.
Papanna, attached to the Konanakunte police station in Bengaluru, is the accused inspector. The victim has submitted a complaint to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and urged action against the officer.
The victim alleges that her complaints to the police were of no use. "The accused officer claims that his wife is a close relative of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and no one can harm him in any way. The police had initiated action against me recently, and they are not taking any action against the accused officer, even though all evidence has been submitted," she stated.
"Inspector Papanna is harassing me. He sends vulgar messages on WhatsApp. He says that he loves me and calls me 'very sexy'. These are just a few examples – he has sent many more such messages."
"In 2016, the accused inspector called me for an inquiry and asked for my number. When a police officer asks for my contact number, I have to provide it. He started sending 'good morning' and 'good night' messages. I showed the messages to my husband, and he advised me not to reply. In February 2017, he even started sending inappropriate messages. After this, when I went to file a complaint with the DCP, I received a threatening call from his side," she stated.
"They threaten my husband that our children will be killed. For three months, Papanna has been calling me frequently and harassing me. He says he will come to my house and cook for me, and will also feed me. The police officer asks me to treat him like a friend. The officer openly says his wife is a relative of CM Siddaramaiah, and nothing can be done to him. He was suspended twice, but he immediately took charge, and he is all set to get a promotion and become an assistant commissioner of police. He will be in power," he stated.
"He should be punished. If he is suspended, his suspension will be revoked. He will continue to exploit women. There are a large number of women victims. I am an MBA graduate, and American University has awarded me a Ph.D. I was disgusted by the messages from the police," she wrote in the complaint.
The woman, a known criminal at the Basavanagudi police station, was recently arrested by the Bengaluru Police under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act, 2000 (KCOCA) in connection with a kidnapping case involving a high-profile real estate businessman. The police stated that she is facing about 10 cases in various police stations across Bengaluru.