Police has come under the spot after gangs suspected to be police officers violently attacked Rajiv Ruparelia, the son to city tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia on the Friday morning of 17th July
Anti-terrorism police officers suspected to be attached to Bank of Uganda(BoU) on Friday morning attacked Rajiv and attempted to run over him as he was jogging in the leafy suburb of Kololo near the gate of his father.
Shortly after the incident, Police claimed it had launched expeditious investigations and would release a detailed report but five days later, authorities in the Force remained muted over the status of the probe and if it was started anyway.
Police has failed to explain why operatives claiming to be its officers were camouflaged in plain-clothes and recklessly driving an unmarked vehicle in a residential neighbourhood.
Police officers, driving at break neck speed tried to knock down Rajiv but he quickly dashed off the road, though his dogs and a dog handler were left nursing serious injuries and had to be rushed to hospital in order to save their lives.
Police has come under the spotlight with questions emerging over what the officers were doing in Kololo and driving at over 100Kms per hour in a residential neighbourhood where the speed limit is marked at 30 Kms per hour.
Rajiv was concerned because there has been a public outcry about negative elements in the Police that engage in criminal activities like exhortation while also operating hit squads.
The attack also come at the time when Rajiv and his father are engaged in a legal battle with BoU and what makes the attack more suspicious is the involvement of BoU officials in the fracas. The fracas that looked like an attempted assassination or failed kidnapped cannot go without being investigated give the person of Rajiv’s status.
Commenting on the incident, Rajiv wrote on Facebook that the attack was partly racially motivated because he simply questioned why Police officers were moving in an unmarked car and driving recklessly in a residential neighbourhood.
“I stopped to tell them that it was not safe for anybody to ride that fast in a residential neighbourhood. I and my dogs were walking and I asked why an individual can drive that recklessly in a residential neighbourhood. I requested in a simple way but an officer angrily responded to me that this is not India, this is Uganda. This was a racial attack, “Mr Rajiv wrote on Facebook.
Police has also failed to answer why they were driving in a vehicle with civilian number plates because all police vehicles on operations must have police number plates and those with civilian or no plates, its occupants must clearly identify themselves and what kind of operation they are undertaking. The incidents shows clearly how police was violating the Traffic and Road Safety Act which they must protect.
