The Central Reserve Police Force has expressed displeasure at the alleged assault of one of its personnel by policemen in Belagavi district of Karnataka after he was accused of violating the lockdown norms, PTI reported. The force wrote to the state police chief Praveen Sood on the matter.

The incident came to light through a social media video purportedly showing the CRPF jawan, Sachin Savant, being beaten up with batons by policemen. The police told the CRPF that Savant was washing his bike outside his home on April 23 without wearing a mask, and got into an altercation with two policemen who asked him about his actions.

Savant, a member of the CRPF’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, or CoBRA unit, was in his hometown on leave. The country is in a state of lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The CRPF wrote to police, saying that the “unpleasant situation could have been avoided had the state police taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest”, officials said. The letter said Savant was “manhandled, ill-treated, paraded to the police station barefooted, kept in chains and handcuffs”. An official told PTI that the force was considering filing a counter-FIR against the “atrocious action” of the police.

“We have taken up the case with the state police chief of Karnataka,” M Dhinakaran, official spokesperson of CRPF, said, according to Hindustan Times. “[On] Tuesday his bail plea case is coming before the court. CRPF too shall be in court through a local officer. Thereafter investigation shall be followed up to take it to the logical conclusion.”

Police claimed that Savant had started the altercation with the policemen. However, officials of the CRPF claimed that Savant had told the policemen that he was not wearing a mask as he was just outside his home.