Made to run around three Police Stations; complaint filed finally at 10.30 pm

Mysore:  A 61-year-old Tourist Guide was waylaid, robbed, brutally stabbed and assaulted by a gang of four criminals in the wee hours of yesterday. Sadly, the bleeding victim was made to run around three Police Stations to register a complaint. Finally, the case was registered at 10.30 pm for the incident that occurred at 5.30 am. 

This shocking incident comes even as the Supreme Court has observed that all Police Stations must mandatorily accept a complaint and register a ‘Zero FIR’ if the incident has occurred beyond the Station jurisdiction and later transfer the case to the jurisdictional Police Station. 

The Tourist Guide is David Alexander, a resident of Gandhinagar-Mahadevapura Main Road. He travels to Srirangapatna daily and takes the tourists around the historical places there and comes to Mysuru. He starts his day at 5 am and as per the routine, yesterday too he was waiting for a bus near Good Shepherd Convent that comes under Lashkar Mohalla Police Station. 

David’s regular bus did not stop yesterday and as he was stranded on the road, a black car approached him. He was quick to note down the registration number that read KA-04-MK-909. Four persons including the driver were seated in the car and one of the passengers enquired where David was going. 

He said he was a Tourist Guide and was headed to Srirangapatna. The car passengers told him that they were going towards Srirangapatna and asked him to get inside the vehicle. David obliged and as the vehicle neared Tipu Circle on old Mysuru-Bengaluru Road, the car was stopped. 

Knives and iron rods

Two persons got down from the vehicle and opened the car boot to get knives and iron rods. They asked David for money and ATM card and when he refused, he was attacked. One of the gang members stabbed his left hand and the other beat him up with the iron rod. They snatched his mobile phone and Rs. 6,200 cash. 

The gang again pushed David back into the car and dumped him at Bommuru Agrahara Cross near Naguvinahalli check post. The four members later fled the place. A bleeding David was unable to walk. He was rescued by a few farmers and a tea vendor by the side of the road. 

Srirangapatna Police Station 

At around 6 am, David managed to reach the Srirangapatna Police Station to lodge a complaint. A sleepy Policeman who was on night duty told David that a complaint cannot be taken as the Sub-Inspector will come only after 9 am. When David told him that he was picked up by the gang near Tipu Circle, the Constable told him to go to Lashkar Mohalla Police Station.

Lashkar and N.R. Police Stations

Tired and exhausted, David took a bus home and accompanied by his son Jesu Raj Prabhu, he took an auto to Lashkar Police Station. The Lashkar Police too refused to register an FIR as according to them, Tipu Circle comes under N.R. Mohalla Police Station. 

David then headed to N.R. Mohalla Station where a cop insulted him that he was looking like a rowdy. David pleaded with him to register an FIR and send him for medical examination as he needed quick medical attention and he was bleeding and was unable to walk. 

Running around

Without bothering to book an FIR, the N.R. Police again told him to go Lashkar Police Station. Fed up with the Police attitude, David finally reached Lashkar Station and again pleaded the Police to register the case. 

After examining the jurisdiction in detail and making David and son wait till 10.30 pm, an FIR was registered and the victim was sent for medical test. David is yet to recover from the shock of the assault and the treatment meted out to him at three Police Stations. On their part, Police are tracking the vehicle details to arrest the gang.