Police begin probe into City violence

Police begin probe into City violence
Deccan Herald

Bangalore Police have instituted an inquiry into the causes of the widespread violence in the City on Thursday along the route of the funeral procession of actor Rajkumar.


Bangalore Police have instituted an inquiry into the causes of the widespread violence in the City on Thursday along the route of the funeral procession of actor Rajkumar.

Headed by senior police officers, the inquiry will look into all aspects of violence, including the possibility of a conspiracy by vested interests to create trouble intentionally.

City Police Commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh, addressing a press conference, denied allegations of unpreparedness on the part of the police in dealing with the violence on Thursday.

“The police were neither unprepared nor caught on the wrong foot. They were in complete charge of the situation. As many as 8,000 policemen had to control a crowd of more than an a lakh and half. Such violence was not anticipated,” Mr Singh said.

Maximum restraint

He said policemen had exercised maximum restraint and had made all efforts to control the mobs by lathi-charging and lobbing of tear-gas shells.

“Firing was the last resort under extreme conditions,” he said.

Mr Singh said even if there more police personnel, it would have been tough to contain violence of the scale that took place on Thursday.

When his attention was drawn to rumours that 12 truckloads of people were brought into the city to create trouble, Mr Singh said he had no information in this regard.

TAKING STOCK OF THE MAYHEM

*Manjunath Malladi (24), KSRP constable, lynched by a mob with stones and clubs at Siddalingaiah Circle

Victims of firing

* Gopal (27) was running for his life in the crowd

behind Kanteerava Studio when two bullets pierced his back. He died instantly.

*Janardhan (25), a native of Hassan employed in a small hotel in the City. He was watching the incidents from the 3rd floor of a building near

Kanteerava Studio when a bullet hit him in the

lower chest. He died on the spot and fell off the 3rd floor to the ground.

* Kumar (35) sustained bullet injuries near Kanteerava Studio and died near Kanteerava Stadium

* Muniraju (35) — Hit by bullets near Siddalingaiah Circle

* Yeshwant Shetty — Died after being hit by bullets near Kanteerava Studio

* Sailesh Kumar (23) — Died in firing near Kanteerava Stadium

* Amjad Kattimani (25) — Died in firing near Kanteerava Studio

INJURED AND PROPERTY LOSS

*174 injured — 118 policemen, 60 civilians

* 120 vehicles burnt down in two days

* Vehicles burnt include 17 police vehicles,

12 BMTC buses,

64 two-wheelers

*3 petrol bunks burnt

* Loss estimated to be Rs 2-3 crore

*563 arrested