Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district Superintendent of Police B M Laxmi Prasad has suspended three police constables, including two women from Puttur Rural Police station for allegedly misbehaving with a teenager and her parents.

The suspended police constables have been identified as Dinesh, Gayathri and Prashnitha. It is alleged that these constables harassed a 13-year-old girl in the pretext of interrogation with regard to a theft case.

According to the sources, a theft case was registered at Puttur Rural (Sampya) police station few days ago. Following the complaint,  police brought the girl and her parents to the police station on Friday, June 28. When the girl denied the allegation made against her, two women constables Gayathri and Prashnitha took her into a room for questioning and allegedly assaulted her to admit to the crime. It is also alleged that the male constable Dinesh spoke rudely with the girl’s parents when they tried to defend their daughter.

Following a primary investigation, Superintendent of Police B M Lakshmi Prasad placed three constables under suspension pending departmental enquiry. It can be recalled that dalit leaders had protested and urged disciplinary action against the police citing physical and mental harassment to the girl and her parents.