Mangalore, January 4: Bunder police have arrested Srinivas Rao, a lawyer of Mangalore, on charges of allegedly assaulting a traffic police and hampering in doing his duties.  The session court judge has issued a shokass notice seeking an explanation from the police after listening to the statement made by the lawyer that he had been harassed in the police station and locked was inside a room without providing food and water.

It is said that the arrested lawyer Srinivas Rao tried to catch an express bus near Hampanakatta on Saturday noon at a place where pickup is not allowed. The traffic police, Babu Naik, stopped Rao from catching the bus and showed him a board indicating no pickup zone. But, Rao, instead of following traffic rules, got angry and slammed the police when in duty, police said. Another police came for the rescue of his colleague and brought Rao to Bunder Police Station, they added.  According to a complained filed by traffic police Babu Naik, police have lodged a case on Srinivas Rao for hampering the cop from doing his duties and assaulting him in public. The cop, who injured during the incidence, was admitted to Wenlock Hospital for treatment.

Srinivas Rao, who was released on a bail, told reporters that the traffic police stopped him from catching a bus near Hampanakatta on Saturday and thrashed him in public. "The police, who was on duty thrashed me and brought to Bunder Police Station in an auto rickshaw. Though I introduced myself, they locked me inside a room till evening without providing either food or water," he said.  According to court directives, Rao had been admitted to Wenlock Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Mangalore Bar Association has condemned the attack on advocate. It would convene a meeting on Sunday to decide the course of action, Bar Association president M. R. Ballal said.