Hubballi: Eight police constables were suspended on Tuesday for brutally caning of villagers, including women and children in Navalgund last week during the Mahadayi protest.

The constables, attached to Navalgund and Vijayapura district reserve police, had rained lathis in retaliation to an attack on a police jeep in Yamanur village during the protest.

Dharwad SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena said that the decision to suspend the eight constables was taken after they were seen caning the farmers in a video captured on the premises of Navalgund police station. The constables were identified and suspended on Tuesday morning.

Of the eight suspended cops, two are attached to Navalgund police station, four to Belagavi and two others to Vijaypura District Reserve police. Police have refrained from revealing the identities of suspended policemen fearing retaliatory attacks from farmers and agitators. Earlier, the home department had suspended an inspector and a police sub inspector while a deputy superintendent of police rank officer was transferred.

Meanwhile, the protesters are demanding the suspension of higher officials who ordered the lathicharge. There has been a demand for the release of farmers as well who were detained during the protest.

Police had detained 120 people from Navalgund and sent them to Ballari jail after violence following the Mahadayi river tribunal’s verdict. The tribunal had rejected Karnataka’s demand of 7.56 tmcft of water from Mahadayi river.

ADGP Bhaskar Rao said that the police are also looking at the possibility of criminal elements, who in the guise of protesters, burnt down government properties in Navalgund. “Based on the footage we are ascertaining the identities of people who vandalised properties. It appears some of them are not farmers,” he said.