‘They Said It Was A Mistake’

DT: A policeman was suspended yesterday for brutally assaulting a complainant.

The victim, an Indian, had initially approached the Manama Souk Police Station to file a complaint against a person who had damaged a company vehicle.

However, he was hit several times on his face with a metal handcuff by a policeman after he said that the policeman was ‘useless’.

“A Bahraini had broken the number plate of my company truck,” said the Indian who requested anonymity.

“Initially I approached the traffic police with the complaint. They informed me that it was not a traffic related offense and that I should report it at the police station closest to where the incident happened.

“I approached one of the policemen at the Manama Souk Police Station to lodge a complaint. He told me to report to the traffic police.

“When I told him that they had sent me here, he replied that such complaints were not filed at the police station. I went back to the Sanabis traffic depot. This time a traffic policeman accompanied me to the Souk police station.

“The traffic policeman approached the same desk that I had approached earlier. So I told him that it was useless talking to this person because he was not ready to listen.

“Hearing this, the policeman at the desk got angry and started hitting me with metal handcuffs. No one helped me.

“I was hit in my eye which started bleeding. I think he saw the blood and stopped hitting me.”

Then the other policemen gathered around the injured man and offered him tea and tried to calm him down. They also tried to justify their colleague’s actions by saying it was a mistake. “At that time I did not know how badly I was injured,” said the victim.

“I left the police station and went to a nearby shop. There I saw my reflection in a mirror and blood in my right eye.”

The victim reported the incident to the Indian Embassy who in turn informed the Interior Ministry. A case has been filed at the Hoora Police Station and the policemen from the Manama Souk Police Station were summoned there.

The victim identified the policeman who assaulted him.

The victim was then taken to the Salmaniya Medical Complex for a medical examination. Allegedly there was a blood clot in his eye and the complainant is still waiting for the medical report. The Interior Ministry confirmed that the policeman has been temporarily relieved of his duties.