Bengaluru couple’s midnight scare: “Rs 3,000 fine for staying out at night”

New Delhi:

A couple in Karnataka’s Bengaluru was allegedly harassed by policemen on Thursday midnight, who asked them to pay Rs 1,000 through payment app PayTm for ‘breaking the law’ by walking on the road near their home after 11 pm. Forced to do, which was not allowed. The couple was going home after cutting the birthday cake. The police have launched an investigation and a constable and a head constable attached to Sampigehalli police station have been suspended.

In a Twitter thread, a man named Karthik Patri narrated his ordeal, and requested the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner for help.

“I want to share a painful incident that my wife and I had happened the night before. It was around 12:30 midnight. My wife and I were on our way back home after attending a friend’s cake cutting ceremony ( We live in a society behind Manyata (tech parks),” Mr Patri began, and gave details of the incident in a series of 15 tweets.

I want to share a painful incident that my wife and I had the night before. It was around 12:30 in the night. My wife and I were on our way back home after attending a friend’s cake cutting ceremony (we live in a society behind Manyata Tech Park). (1/15)

– Karthik Patri (@Karthik_Patri) December 9, 2022

He said he was a few meters away from his entrance when a patrol van stopped near him, and two men in police uniform demanded he show his ID card. “We were shocked. Why should an adult couple walking down the street on a normal day be asked to show their ID card?” They said.

The policemen were in a Pink Hoysala van – Complaints received through the Security Panic App and Police Control Room No. 112 are expected to get immediate response from Pink Hoysala.

The couple showed photographs of their Aadhaar cards to the police, after which they seized their phones and questioned them about personal details.

“Though a bit shaken, we politely answered their questions. At this point, one of them took out what looked like a challan book and started noting down our names and Aadhaar numbers. Sensing trouble, we Asked why we are being issued a challan,” he added.

One of the policemen told them that they were not allowed to “roam on the road” after 11 pm. Karthik Patri said that although not agreeing that there was such a rule, the couple decided not to escalate the situation as it was late at night and their phones had been confiscated.

Patri claimed that the couple apologized for being ignorant of such a rule, but the police refused to let them go and demanded a fine of Rs 3,000.

“It was clear as day that the two men (sad if they were actually policemen) were out to dupe unsuspecting citizens, and we became their victims. We literally begged them to let us go, But they wouldn’t budge. The more we pleaded, the more rigid they became, even threatening to arrest us. It was as if we were stuck in a quagmire – the more we struggled, The deeper we went sinking. This continued for a long time, until the harassment became unbearable,” he said, threatening the policemen of dire consequences if they did not pay.

He said, “I could barely contain my temper while my wife was in tears. Perhaps realizing that he had pushed a woman too far and fearing legal consequences, he changed course.”

Then a policeman took the husband away and “advised” him to pay the minimum amount to avoid further trouble. Patri said he agreed to pay Rs 1,000, which the policeman asked him to send through Paytm.

“The person immediately grabbed a Paytm QR code, waited for me to scan and pay, and let us off with a stern warning,” he added.

The police took note of the incident and appealed to people to contact them if they have faced such incidents.

Anoop A Shetty, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North East Division, Bengaluru City, replied to the Twitter thread, thanking Mr Patri for bringing it to his notice, and assured him of stern action.

“They will be identified and strict action will be taken against them,” he added.