Drunk Kerala cops in beach spat

Over a hundred policemen from Kerala, many of them drunk, assaulted boat owners, life guards and tourists on a beach near Mangalore today.

Panambur police have arrested them.

A Kerala Reserve Police battalion from Thrissur is in Karnataka for election duty. They were in Bantwal after finishing their duty in Bangalore. Since they had time on their hands, they decided to go to the beach.

Yathish Baikampady, beach supervision committee chief, said, "They couldn't even speak properly, but were trying to throw their weight around."

The policemen wanted to travel by speed boat, but it was booked by a team of seven, including five women.

When the boat owners protested, the policemen pulled the passengers out, and allegedly brought out their lathis to cane those who had resisted them.

The policemen had come in two buses, and some escaped. Panambur police have arrested the others, and taken them to Wenlock Hospital for a blood test.

Panambur sub-inspector Pramod Kumar said most of those arrested were drunk, and the blood test would help in nailing them.


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