Battles rage on the roads

Battles rage on the roads
The TImes of India

Bangalore: “When the police are not allowing us to see Rajkumar for the last time, why should we spare them?’’ — so asked a 10-yearold outside the Kanteerava Studio.

Picking up a stone, he then flung it at a fire tender and made good his escape in the bylanes of Yeshwantpur industrial suburb. His fury reflected the mood outside the studio. If the police lobbed teargas shells and opened fire, the crowd — which outnumbered the cops — found their missiles in stones, empty soft drink bottles, gas cylinders and oil cans. After pitched battles, the casualties: three among the crowd dead, nearly a hundred policemen injured.

Three hours before the funeral rites began, the area around Kanteerava Studio turned strife-zone. Trouble began around 2 pm when the police began to chase away fans gathered at the Studio, where Rajkumar’s wife Parvathamma and other film personalities were awaiting the star’s body. Agitated, the fans gathered at the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Circle at Nandini Layout Cross on the ring road.

What started as slogan-shouting against the police took a violent turn when the police tried to disperse them. The mob started playing hide-n-strike — setting ablaze police vehicles and retreating into bylanes. In a matter of minutes, the crowds set fire to five fourwheelers and three two-wheelers. Then the expected — they set fire to an entire petrol bunk, complete with a tanker and dispensers. A fire tender and two trucks that were parked at the bunk were also set on fire and the office ransacked. Two constables and fire service personnel who tried to reach the spot were caught in a cross-fire of stones.

Later, the crowd surged towards the studio, raining stones on the police. Two police jeeps and three two-wheelers were set on fire right in front of the studio gate. At this point, the police opened fire, killing one.

With the news of the death spreading like wildfire, the crowd turned more violent. They removed empty bottles from three stationary trucks belonging to a soft drink company and threw them at the cops. Simultaneously, others set fire to a petty shop. A gas cylinder inside blew up like a bomb and touched a high-tension electric pole, setting off sparks.

“We had just moved away from that petty shop when the cylinder exploded. Otherwise, at least five of us would have got killed,’’ city armed reserve constable Venkatesh said. With such lawlessness, the firing became continuous outside the stadium.

At this point, deputy CM B S Yediyurappa arrived at the venue, against police advice. The mob began stoning his vehicle and he was injured. The police opened fire, killing two.

Tension escalated when Rajkumar’s body arrived in the police van. The mob attacked the RAF personnel following the van with bottles and stones. Though they managed to keep a huge surge at bay, fans cut open the Studio fence and poured inside. There, the police left it to the family members and there seemed to be no end to the chaos. Silence came to the venue only hours after the funeral rites were completed and several persons were rounded up by the police.

Parvathamma said: “I was unable to participate in my husband’s funeral because of hysterical fans.’’