Cop decorated for gunning down Maoist sent to jail for beating wife

Inspector of Police in Bangalore N Srinidhi, who was conferred the gallantry medal by President last year for gunning down naxal leader Saketh Rajan, has now been sent to jail for beating his wife.

Srinidhi, who has been serving as Inspector of Frazer Town police station in Bangalore, was arrested by the Vijaynagar police and sent to jail after his wife Jyothi Shree, 28, lodged a complaint of assault and dowry harassment against him.

Confirming the arrest of Srinidhi by the police on Monday, Bangalore City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao said the police officer will be suspended from duty.

According to a senior police officer handling the case, Srinidhi preferred going to jail rather than apologizing and making up with his wife.

Srinidhi’s wife Jyothi Shree, accompanied by her father, lodged a complaint with the Karnataka State Women’s Commission that the police officer, his brother Srinivas and mother Jayalakshmamma were harassing her for dowry. The Commission directed the Vijaynagar police to register a case and investigate the matter.

In her complaint, Jyothi Shree said Srinidhi constantly harassed and ill-treated her. According to the complaint, Srinidhi asked his wife to polish his shows as usual on Sunday. “He gave me a couple of blows when I took some time to polish the shoes. His mother and brother encouraged him to hit me harder though my eight-year-old son pleaded with him to stop beating. I fell unconscious soon after”, Jyothi Shree told the Women’s Commission and the police.

Before registering the case, the police asked Srinidhi to apologize to his wife and make a fresh start. “But, he remained adamant and did not express any regret. He admitted that he assaulted his wife as she ill-treated his aged mother and other family members”, the senior police officer handling the case told reporters.

Though the police arrested Srinidhi’s brother Srinivas and mother Jayalakshmamma too, the latter was released on bail by the magistrate. Srinidhi and his brother Srinivas remained in jail.