Wed Dec 25 22:17:58 UTC 2024: ## Police Inspector Suspended After BJP MLC Arrest Leads to Crowd Gathering

**Belagavi, Karnataka –** A police inspector has been suspended pending inquiry following a large gathering outside a police station after the arrest of a BJP MLC. Inspector Manjunath Nayak of the Khanapur police station is accused of failing to control the crowd that assembled when C.T. Ravi, the BJP MLC, was brought to the station following his arrest.

Mr. Ravi was arrested for allegedly making derogatory comments against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. After his arrest outside the Suvarna Soudha, he was moved between several police stations, including Nandagad, Khanapur, and Ramdurg, before being produced in a Belagavi court.

Over 100 people, led by BJP MLA Vithal Halgekar, gathered outside the Khanapur police station, demanding an explanation for Mr. Ravi’s transfer to their station and assisting him in filing a complaint alleging an attack by Ms. Hebbalkar’s supporters.

The BJP has criticized the police’s handling of the situation, alleging procedural violations and claiming Mr. Ravi was subjected to physical and mental torture. However, City Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang justified the movements, citing intelligence reports of angry crowds pursuing Mr. Ravi.

Mr. Halgekar termed the inspector’s suspension a “political decision,” while the Khanapur BJP unit has planned a protest. Inspector Nayak, however, has appealed for calm and expressed confidence in his exoneration.

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