Coffee token row at Bengaluru airport turns violent: Three cops suspended for assaulting canteen staff

Three police personnel posted at Kempegowda International Airport Police Station were suspended after allegedly beating up canteen workers for insisting on a coffee token late at night, leading to FIR, medical treatment, and departmental action.

Three police personnel attached to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Police Station have been suspended following serious allegations of assault and misconduct against canteen staff at the Bengaluru airport. The action came hours after a formal complaint was lodged and an FIR was registered.

The incident took place around 12.30 a.m. on Wednesday night, when the three personnel,  Gangaraju, Balappa, and Kumar, visited the hostel area near the airport canteen and asked for coffee. As per the complaint, a staff member informed them in Hindi that a token needed to be purchased before serving coffee, due to language barriers.

This reportedly triggered anger among the police personnel. One of them questioned the need for a token, began verbally abusing the staff, and soon the situation escalated. The complaint states that one canteen worker was slapped and punched on the face and shoulders. When two other staff members, Rajesh and Dilip, intervened to protect their colleague, they were also allegedly assaulted and threatened.

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The incident allegedly caused panic among customers present at the spot. It is further alleged that the accused personnel attempted to forcibly shut the hotel gate, created chaos inside the premises, and caused damage to the business, resulting in financial loss and fear among staff and customers.
Following the assault, the injured worker was shifted to Devanahalli Government Hospital for medical treatment.

A formal complaint was lodged by Ajit Kumar, the canteen manager at KIA, in the early hours of February 11. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against all three personnel under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (rash and negligent act endangering human life), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Taking swift disciplinary action, the City Police Commissioner ordered the immediate suspension of all three personnel within hours of the FIR being registered. The complainant has accused the trio of physical assault, obstruction of work, issuing life threats, and causing business losses.