Mysuru: State Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh suspended a traffic head constable, here on Wednesday, March 27, for stopping his car for half-a-minute.

The suspended traffic head constable is Venkatesh from Kuvempunagar Police Station.

Yesterday, i.e., on Tuesday, March 26, he had visited the Deputy Commissioner’s office which is on the JLB Road along with Mysuru-Kodagu coalition Lok Sabha candidate Vijayshankar while filing his nomination.

Meanwhile, Venkatesh who was on inspection duty had stopped his private car and asked him to lower the window glass. He did this to find out the number of people inside the car, as only specified number of people will be allowed to enter the DC’s office according to the election model code of conduct.

Because he was stopped for half-a-minute for checking, he charged the police staff on duty on the spot. According to eye witnesses, Sa Ra Mahesh had ordered verbally the police higher-ups to take action on Venkatesh. Based on the order, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mutturaj obtained information from Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gajendra Prasad, of the Devaraja Sub Division and passed a suspension order against Venkatesh.

Clarifying on the issue, DCP Mutturaj said that according to the election model code of conduct, a maximum of three cars could be allowed to accompany the candidate who is filing the nomination. Hence the procedures followed by the Traffic Head Constable Venkatesh were against the rule and that was the reason he was suspended.

It may be recalled that Sa Ra Mahesh had also shown his aggression on the Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Divya Gopinath on January 23, during Siddaganga Matt Pontiff, Centenarian Late Shree Shivakumara Swamiji’s last rites, as he was not allowed to enter the area due to protocols. Following this, SP Divya had shed tears.