Three police personnel from Karnataka have been suspended for allegedly consuming alcohol and partying at the police station while on duty.
The incident occurred in Jal Nagar police station in Vijayapura, where assistant sub-inspector SS Malegaon and constable IY Soddi were seen drinking alcohol and woman constable Padma Rathod was seen serving the two.
The three police personnel were suspended on Wednesday, after a television channel reported the incident. According to the police, the incident is said to have happened a month ago, on May 14.
On Wednesday, News9 carried visuals of the three police force members drinking alcohol within the premises of the police station. While one cop in plainclothes can be seen pouring out alcohol from a plastic bottle, another can be seen drinking from a glass. A photograph of woman constable Padma, holding a glass of alcohol and seemingly proceeding to serve the men was also telecast.
Following the story, senior police officials took note of the incident. SP Kuldeep Kumar told Bangalore Mirror, “A retired ASI’s son was getting married and there was a function at a choultry near the police station. They claimed they were having food on the police station premise. We are yet to confirm if the men were having liquor."
According to reports, the three police personnel have denied that they were consuming alcohol. They maintained that the bottle contained sambhar and rasam.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists conducted a protest in front of the police station, demanding that the SP take immediate action against the three cops. After the SP visited the station, the three police personnel were subjected to questioning. He later suspended them, pending enquiry.
"A few said it was sambar and others claimed it was rasam. But there was indiscipline on the part of the police force as they cannot party in the police station premise. The dress code was not being followed too. One is seen without a shirt and the other is in mufti- on duty,” the SP pointed out.