A first information report was registered against Arjun, a sub-inspector in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, who was accused of forcing a Dalit man, who was in custody, to drink urine. This was confirmed by the police inspector of Gonibeedu Police Station in Chikkamagaluru, where a case was registered based on a complaint by Punith KL, a 22-year-old resident of Kiranguda in the district, who was allegedly attacked by the sub-inspector. The sub-inspector was charged with wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, causing insult, causing hurt, torture, wrongful confinement to extort a confession, along with provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Punith was taken into custody by police in the Gonibeedu police station on May 10 after residents in his village accused him of causing trouble between a couple. During his custody, Punith alleged that the sub-inspector refused to give him water and allegedly forced another person to urinate on Punith. According to him, the other person in lock-up was threatened with torture if he did not urinate on Punith.
Punith said that there was no formal complaint against him and that he was humiliated, beaten up and subjected to verbal abuse by the police who were trying to make him give a false confession. He was released by the police at 10.30 pm on May 10, almost twelve hours after he was taken into custody. Punith then wrote to Chikkamagaluru SP Akshay M Hakay and other senior officers about the incident and a preliminary probe was begun seeking action against the sub-inspector.