CRPF jawan released on conditional bail in Karnataka

A Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) jawan whose arrest had kicked up a row was released on a conditional bail by the Chikkodi in Belagavi district in North Karnataka on Tuesday.

After getting bail, CoBRA commando Sachin Sawant was received at the jail by CRPF staff.

The Additional Superintendent of Police Amaranath Reddy told P T I that while releasing him on bail the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) has asked him not to influence the investigation.

He further said Sawant was handcuffed and chained and was tied to grill of a window because he was violent.

Sawant was arrested on April 23 for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his "ill-treatment", following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police.

State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral.

In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting Sawant with sticks in Belagavi.

According to information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown.

Taking a serious view of the "ill-treatment" meted out to its commando, the CRPF had written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter.

In a letter to the Karnataka DGP, the Additional Director General of Police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawant was cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him and the police over not wearing the mask.

Arora wrote, "Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated, before his family members and paraded to the police station barefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff. From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen-centric."