Two Mangaluru cops arrested for extorting electrician during patrol
Synopsis
Two on-duty Mangaluru police personnel have been arrested for allegedly stopping an electrician during a patrol, assaulting him, seizing his ATM cards and cash, and threatening him with a false case unless he paid up. The fact that they used a marked Hoysala patrol vehicle — a community policing symbol — makes the alleged misconduct particularly stark.
Key Takeaways
Shivraj and Hiranna Benni , constables at Mangaluru South police station , were arrested on 7 November 2026 .
They are accused of assaulting electrician Raviraj of Vittal , seizing his ATM cards, ₹1,000 cash, and motorcycle key.
The accused allegedly demanded ₹2,000 and threatened a false case if he refused to pay.
A third officer, Umanath , is named in the complaint for allegedly taking Raviraj's motorcycle and demanding money; investigation is ongoing.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Reddy ordered swift action; both arrested personnel have been remanded to judicial custody.
An FIR has been registered at Pandeshwar police station .
Two police personnel attached to the Mangaluru South police station in Karnataka were arrested on Saturday, 7 November 2026, for allegedly assaulting and extorting money from a local electrician while on duty in a Hoysala patrol vehicle. The accused have been identified as Shivraj and Hiranna Benni, both of whom have been remanded to judicial custody by a court.
How the alleged extortion unfolded
The complainant, Raviraj, a resident of Vittal working as an electrician in Mangaluru, stated that he was returning home after a walk at Nehru Maidan when the two constables, travelling in a Hoysala vehicle, allegedly stopped and assaulted him. According to the complaint, they seized his mobile phone and removed ₹300 from its cover before abusing and threatening him.
The following day, Benni and Shivraj allegedly returned in the same patrol vehicle and subjected Raviraj to further harassment. They reportedly took two ATM cards belonging to Karnataka Bank and Union Bank, ₹1,000 in cash, and his motorcycle key. The accused allegedly obtained his phone password, checked his bank account balance, and demanded ₹2,000, threatening to register a false case and send him to jail if he refused to pay.
Third officer named in complaint
The complaint also names a third police personnel, Umanath, who allegedly took custody of Raviraj's motorcycle and separately demanded money from him. According to the complaint, Raviraj was abused, threatened, and forced to hand over cash in this encounter as well. An investigation against Umanath is reportedly ongoing.
Police commissioner orders action
An FIR was registered at the Pandeshwar police station following Raviraj's formal complaint. Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Reddy directed action against the accused personnel, leading swiftly to the arrests of Shivraj and Hiranna Benni. Both were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.
Significance and what it signals
The incident is notable because the accused were allegedly on official patrol duty at the time — using a marked Hoysala police vehicle — when they reportedly committed the very crimes they are tasked with preventing. Critics argue such cases erode public trust in community policing, particularly in a city where the Hoysala programme was designed to serve as a reassuring, responsive police presence. This comes amid broader national scrutiny of custodial conduct and the misuse of police authority against ordinary citizens. The speed of the police commissioner's response and the arrests within hours of the complaint may signal an attempt to demonstrate institutional accountability.
The investigation remains active, and further developments are expected as inquiries into Umanath's role continue.
Point of View
Trustworthy policing — as the alleged instrument of extortion is the detail that cuts deepest here. It is not merely misconduct; it is a systematic inversion of institutional purpose. The speed of Commissioner Reddy's response is commendable, but it also underlines that action came only after a formal complaint, raising questions about supervisory oversight of patrol units. Incidents like this, recurring across states, point to a gap in real-time accountability for beat-level officers that no post-complaint crackdown alone can close.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the police personnel arrested in Mangaluru for extortion?
The two arrested personnel are Shivraj and Hiranna Benni, both attached to the Mangaluru South police station in Karnataka. They were arrested on 7 November 2026 and remanded to judicial custody after a complaint was filed by electrician Raviraj.
What did the Mangaluru police personnel allegedly do to the electrician?
According to the complaint, Shivraj and Hiranna Benni allegedly stopped Raviraj near Nehru Maidan while on patrol, assaulted him, seized his ATM cards, ₹1,000 in cash, and his motorcycle key, checked his bank balance using his phone password, and demanded ₹2,000 under threat of a false case.
What is the status of the third officer, Umanath, named in the complaint?
Umanath, a third police personnel named in Raviraj's complaint, allegedly took custody of his motorcycle and demanded money. He has not been arrested as of the latest reports, and an investigation against him is said to be continuing.
Which police station filed the FIR and who ordered the arrests?
An FIR was registered at Pandeshwar police station following Raviraj's complaint. Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Reddy directed action against the accused, leading to the arrests of Shivraj and Hiranna Benni.
What is a Hoysala police vehicle?
Hoysala is a community policing patrol scheme in Karnataka, where marked vehicles carrying police personnel are deployed across localities to provide a visible and responsive police presence. The alleged use of such a vehicle in the extortion incident has drawn particular attention to the case.
