Three police personnel suspended for assaulting Bengaluru airport canteen staff

City police commissioner on Thursday suspended three police personnel for beating up the airport canteen staff for demanding token for the coffee they ordered on Wednesday night.

The incident reportedly occurred around 12.30 a.m. on Wednesday, when three police personnel attached to the KIA Police Station, identified as Gangaraju, Belappa, and Kumar allegedly visited the hostel area near the canteen and asked for coffee.

The complainant stated that due to language difficulties, one of the staff members informed them in Hindi that a coffee token needed to be purchased before serving. This reportedly angered one of the police personnel, who allegedly questioned why only one token was being asked for and began verbally abusing the staff.

The situation escalated when the accused personnel allegedly assaulted a canteen worker, slapping and punching him on the face and shoulders. The complaint further states that when other staff members, identified as Rajesh and Dilip, intervened to rescue their colleague, they too were allegedly assaulted and threatened.

Ajit Kumar, a canteen manager at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) lodged a complaint alleging assault and misconduct by three police personnel in the early hours of February 11. Based on this, an FIR was registered against Gangaraju, Balappa, and Kumar, under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (rash and negligent act endangering human life), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult meant to provoke) of BNS. Hours after the FIR, the trio was suspended.

It is also alleged that the police personnel attempted to forcibly close the hotel gate and created a disturbance inside the hotel premises, causing damage to the business and instilling fear among customers present at the time.

The injured worker was later taken to Devanahalli Government Hospital for treatment. The complainant has accused the three police personnel of physically assaulting staff, obstructing their work, issuing life threats, and causing financial loss to the establishment.