Congress expels party member for assaulting policemen

In a swift action, the ruling Congress Thursday expelled Somashekar Gowda from the party's primary membership for allegedly assaulting two policemen at a bar here.

"Gowda, who has been a member of the party for many years and a former Youth Congress office-bearer, has been expelled for six years by party's state unit president G. Parameshwara," a party spokesman told IANS here.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) also ordered an inquiry into the assault charges against party legislator Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who represents the Hungund assembly seat in Bagalkot district, about 540 km northwest of Bangalore.

The decision to expel Gowda was taken on the basis of a first information report (FIR) filed against him.

Police charged Kashappanavar, Gowda and nine others under section 353 of the Indian Penal Code with abusing and assaulting beat constables Kiran Kumar and Prashanth Naik when they started taking photos of the accused partying beyond the stipulated time in the bar, located in the posh UB City in downtown Bangalore.

"On a tip-off that the Skyye Bar was still open even after midnight and liquor was being served beyond the stipulated time (11:30 p.m. Tuesday) to customers, we went to find out what was happening and why it (bar) was still open for business.

"On being told that we were doing our duty, the accused abused and manhandled us and tried to snatch away our mobile phones," the complaint said.

Though a police team went to Kashappanavar's home earlier in the day to interrogate him on the incident, the legislator was not present in his room.

"We are trying to trace him as we do not know his whereabouts. We want to know his version of the incident to investigate the case," a police official told IANS.

When the opposition BJP lawmakers raised the issue in the state legislative council, which is in session, and sought action against Kashappannavar, minister and leader of the house S.R. Patil said he would collect the details of the incident and inform the members Friday.

Condemning the alleged assault on the constables on duty, KPCC president Parameshwara told reporters that the state government would not interfere in the case and allow the law to take its own course.

"Police will take action against the MLA if found guilty in accordance with the law. As investigation is on, the government will not interfere in the case," he said.

Kashappanavar, however, denied assaulting the constables and claimed late Wednesday that he only objected to them filming him and his family members on their mobile phones as they were only celebrating his birthday.