Policemen’s families on rampage

Policemen’s families on rampage

The residents of police quarters upset that the chief minister and other higher-ups did not turn up to express sympathy turned violent.

Deccan Herald

More than 20 buses, five petty shops and a Hoysala patrol jeep were set on fire on Sarjapur Road when the emotionally-charged residents of Koramangala’s KSRP police quarters went on the rampage on Friday night in protest against the killing of six policemen by Naxals.

Scores of private vehicles including those parked along the Sarjapur Road and several buildings in the upmarket Koramangala I Block were damaged in the stone-throwing while 30 policemen were injured in the incident. The police resorted to bursting teargas shells and firing in the air to quell the mob fury. Tension continued till late in the night.

Trouble started at 7:40 pm when the residents of the KSRP Quarters were waiting to receive the bodies of the six policemen who were killed by Naxals near Pavagada on Thursday night.

The residents, all the family members of KSRP personnel attached to the third and fourth battalions, had put up a pandal at the KSRP Grounds expecting Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and other dignitaries to turn up. The residents reportedly felt insulted when they learnt that they were not coming there and that only the bodies were arriving.

Alleging that the government had shown disrespect towards the KSRP personnel, the residents resorted to slogan-shouting and stone-throwing. Many buses were stopped in front of John Fowlers Factory and damaged.

The police, who reached the spot, resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the angry relatives of the KSRP personnel. This infuriated the residents who started setting the damaged buses on fire. Later, the mob moved towards the BMTC bus stand near Krupanidhi college and set five petty shops and a room on fire. When fire tenders reached the spot, the mob blocked the road and stoned them. Following this additional police personnel rushed to the spot. However, this further irritated the mob which accused the civil police of torturing their own men in the KSRP without trying to understand their emotions.

The angry mob spread out in small groups and started attacking targets. A stretch of the Sarjapur Road from Kudremukh colony to the entrance of Agara lake was strewn with glass pieces. It was only after the city armed reserve (CAR) and the CRPF were deployed in the area, the situation showed signs of improvement. Several BMTC and KSRTC buses, and buses belonging to private tourist operators were also damaged.

Passengers of several tourist buses proceeding towards Tamil Nadu were stranded on Sarjapur Road as the protestors blocked the road and resorted to stoning.
The fear-stricken passengers took shelter at houses located on the service road adjoining Sarjapur Road.

Despite police presence in the area, the stranded passengers, including women and children did not venture out of the houses where they took shelter for two to three hours.

Buses heading towards Tamil Nadu were the most affected.
Several passengers complained that police did not make adequate arrangements to divert traffic when violence began.

When the situation showed signs of improvement, the passengers returned to their homes after cancelling their journey.