Three policemen of Kasba police station have been found “guilty” for not allowing two men to report a crime at the police station because they were wearing shorts, according to an inquiry by a senior officer.

Departmental proceedings have been initiated against a sub-inspector who was the duty officer at the time. The officer allegedly said the two men should wear trousers because there were women at the police station.

A constable has been fined Rs 1,000 and a civic volunteer has been benched for 10 days as punishment for allegedly stopping the two men at the entrance to the police station on the ground they were wearing “inappropriate” clothes.

Police did not formally name the three cops.

The incident had happened on July 17 when Barnik Datta, 33, a resident of Picnic Garden Road, and his friend Avishek De Biswas, 31, from Deshapriya Park, went to Kasba police station to report a theft at Datta’s family temple.

First, they were stopped at the main gate of the police station and told they should come back wearing “proper trousers”. The duty officer, too, had given them the same advice citing the presence of women in the police station.

The two had to leave. Datta returned to the police station wearing full plants, after which his complaint was registered.

The three cops were produced at the office of the deputy commissioner (south suburban division) on Thursday for the final hearing of the inquiry.

“We have tried to sensitise them about the matter. It had sent a wrong signal about the entire force and we would not like anyone else to repeat this mistake,” said a senior police officer.