Hotel ransacked, Jaya Karnataka member held

Hotel ransacked, Jaya Karnataka member held


Express News Service
First Published : 06 Jan 2009 08:48:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 06 Jan 2009 03:16:40 PM IST

BANGALORE: Jaya Karnataka, a political group started recently by Muthappa Rai, is already in the news for all the wrong reasons. On Sunday night, one of the party members and his friends barged into a family restaurant in Kengeri and ransacked the place when the staff refused to pay the hafta. Police have arrested Dorai, and are on the lookout for the other accused.

At 9.30 pm on Sunday night, three men, including a Jaya Karnataka member, allegedly demanded Rs 5,000 for the Annammadevi Jathre, which was already hosted on January 2, from the Amaravathi Hotel staf f, in Kengeri. “We offered to pay Rs 500, but they refused saying that they were not beggars and would not settle for less than Rs 5,000. We explained that without the owner’s permission we were not authorised to give such a huge amount. But they were not in no mood to listen and began abusing us and ransacked the hotel,” said Prasad Shetty, the hotel cashier.

The hotel staff claimed that they suffered a loss of about Rs 35,000 worth furniture and Rs 25,000 was missing from the cash chest.

Prasad said: “We were trying to compromise with them, but they continued vandalising our hotel. As it was a Sunday, the hotel was crowded and many had to run to safety.” Jaya Karnataka party member Dorai has been arrested and police are on the lookout for the other accused Narayana Swamy.

The staff suspect that the same men took the money from their cashbox.