Geetha Vishnu arrest: Why Bengaluru police should hang its head in shame

Geetha Vishnu was involved in an accident injuring six and damaging BBMP's properties at Jayanagar, last week Despite the strict police vigil, he slipped right under their nose from Mallya hospital where he was being treated The police had been looking for him for the past five days. Had he not surrendered, the police may have been still trailing him

The City police's frantic search for Geetha Vishnu, wanted in an accident that left six injured last week, ended, rather smoothly, when the accused himself called up the police offering to surrender. The police went to the place where he was 'hiding' and took him into custody, reports Kannada Prabha. While the police could be heaving a sigh of relief with his arrest, his surrender has yet again brought the police's inefficiency in handling his case to the fore. Geetha Vishnu is the grandson of liquor baron Late Adikeshavalu.

According to Kannada Prabha, after the police issued look-out notice at all the airports and failure in obtaining the anticipatory bail, Vishnu had no other option but to surrender himself to the police. The CCB team had reportedly warned his family members against protecting him. The CCB team that reportedly questioned Vishnu's mother at a resort near Tirupati had warned her too of aiding Vishnu to escape. It is reported that ACP Venkatesh Prasanna had left his mobile number with Vishnu's mother and asking her to inform his whereabouts, whenever her son called up. Using this number, Vishnu reportedly called up ACP Prasanna and offered to surrender and also informed about the place he was hiding. The police took him into custody on Tuesday late night.

Sounds simple. But had Vishnu not offered to surrender, perhaps, the police could have been still trailing him, aimlessly. For, they had already lost a chance earlier, when he was admitted to Mallya Hospital after the accident. Despite deploying a police head constable to keep vigil on Vishnu at the hospital, Vishnu managed to hoodwink the police and slipped out of the hospital's fire exit. He was helped by his relatives at the hospital, it is reported.

His escape right under their nose had the police squirming with embarrassment. Police's handiwork was also alleged in the escape of Vishnu as Vishnu belongs to an influential family. Besides, it was also alleged that the police failed to collect the evidence from the accident spot allegedly prompting him to escape.

His surrender may help the police who are trying to find the source of 110 gm of ganja found in his vehicle at the time of the accident. But it certainly is not a moment that Bengaluru police can boast of.