KJ Halli, DJ Halli situation under control after 3 hours
Ashoka says attack on MLA’s house pre-planned, hints at anti-national elements
BENGALURU:
It took more than 3 hours for the city police to bring the situation under contol in DJ Halli, KJ Halli and the surrounding areas after a huge mob from a minority community went on the rampage on Tuesday night. The alleged provocation was a Facebook post.
As per sources, around 9.30 pm a group of people attacked Pulakeshi Nagar Congress MLA Akhand Srinivas Murthy’s house and a few vehicles were set on fire. Later, the mob ransacked KJ Halli police station and vehicles parked inside the station premises were torched, while DCP Bheemashankar Guled’s Innova car was vandalised.
Sources said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who is under home quarantine after recovering from Covid-19, directed Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the city police chief to take charge of the situation.
Senior police officers led by City police commissioner Kamal Pant visited the spot. MLAs BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and Arshad Rizwan tried to control tempers but by that time the damage had been done. Two miscreants were killed in the subsequent police firing.
Confirming the deaths, Bommai said, “Three persons have been injured in the incident and two have died in police firing. Section 144 has been imposed. Senior police officers have been directed to scrutinise the CCTV evidence and arrest the culprits.”
Miscreants to be booked under Goonda Act
The state government did not rule out the hand of anti- national elements. Revenue Minister R Ashoka said he did not have any information so far about any particular organisation behind the attacks and arson.
Speaking to a local TV channel, the minister said all the miscreants would be arrested and the situation would be clear on Wednesday. “All the miscreants will be booked under the Goonda Act,” he said.
Ashoka said he was personally taking stock of the situation and had spoken to DGP Praveen Sood and ADGP (Law and Order) Amar Kumar Pandey. “I have been tracking the situation from my home and wanted to visit the spot in the night itself to take stock of the situation. But the police advised me not to come. The situation has been brought under control after the police have imposed a curfew in the KJ Halli and DJ Halli police station limits,” he said.
Ashoka said the attack on Congress MLA Akhand Srinivas Murthy’s house was pre-planned. “If at all the community leaders thought that the remarks on Facebook were derogatory, they should have filed an FIR against the relative of the MLA. But the BJP government won’t tolerate this kind of rowdyism. We will not tolerate such a situation any time in the future. Additional forces will be placed in the area. I have directed deployment of DCPs, ACPs and other senior police officers who are familiar with the area. This will help bring the situation under control,” Ashoka said.
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