Bengaluru violence: Police officer on ground says mob snatched weapons from cops

Crime

The police have booked SDPI’s Bengaluru district president Muzamil Pasha in connection with the incident.

TNM Staff

PTI/Representation Photo

After a violent mob attacked two police stations in Bengaluru on Tuesday night, the police have booked over 200 people in connection with the crime. The prime accused, however, are members of the Social Democratic Party of India, the political wing of Popular Front of India.  The police have booked Afnan, Muzamil Pasha (the Bengaluru district president of SDPI), Syed Masood, Ayaz, Allabaksha and 200 others for attempted murder, arson, vandalism, destruction of public property, rioting and criminal intimidation.  An FIR (first information report) was registered against these persons under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (offence committed by a member of unlawful assembly), 307 (attempted murder), 436 (arson), 353 (assault on public servant), 332 (assault on public servant with intent to deter public servant from carrying out duties), 333 (voluntarily causing grevious hurt to public servant), 427 (damage to public property amountng more tha Rs 50), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).  Keshavamurthy, the Inspector of DJ Halli station, which was attacked by the mob, has recounted in the FIR the turn of events on the night of August 11. The five accused were at the police station to file a complaint against P Naveen, nephew of Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, for posting a derogatory comment against Prophet Mohammed on Facebook.  The five accused were at the station on Tuesday evening and an FIR was registered against Naveen after the mob resorted to violence. A mob of over 300 people had gathered outside the police station, demanding Naveen’s arrest immediately. According to the FIR, Naveen was taken into custody and brought to the DJ Halli Police station around 8 pm. “The accused persons and people in the mob, who were with them, demanded that Naveen be handed over to them. They intended to assault Naveen,” the FIR copy reads.  By 8.45 pm,  Afnan, Muzamil Pasha, Syed Masood, Ayaz and Allabaksha, flanked by their supporters, allegedly began pelting stones and bricks at the police station, demanding that Naveen be handed over to them. “They were screaming, ‘we will kill the police today, we won’t spare the police’, while they set fire to police and civilian vehicles,” the FIR copy states.  Inspector Keshavamurthy recounts in the FIR that members of the mob were carrying machetes, sickles, iron rods, wooden logs, stones and bricks. One of the stones hit a police officer named Sridhar on his head and he sustained severe injuries. When Keshavamurthy announced on the loudspeaker and appealed to people to disperse, the mob paid no heed, the FIR adds. “People tried to snatch weapons from police officers. Despite throwing tear gas shells, the mob was not willing to listen to us. We kept warning them that we would fire gunshots if the crowd did not disperse peacefully. Yet, they set fire to vehicles outside the police station, entered the basement of the police station and set fire to seized vehicles parked there. They also scaled the walls and began assaulting police officers who were inside,” the FIR copy adds.  The police, meanwhile, reached out to religious and political leaders, who also arrived at the spot and appealed for peace. When the mob did not listen, the police announced that section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was imposed in DJ Halli and KG Halli and that they could not gather in crowds. “Yet, they began shouting slogans, calling to kill the police. The five accused entered the police station, snatched our weapons and threatened to kill the police,” the FIR copy reads.  However, police reinforcements arrived on time and the announcements were made that gunshots be fired repeatedly, the FIR states. Finally, around midnight, gunshots were fired in the air. “We kept announcing that people could lose their lives if we fired shots in the air. The mob did not listen so we had no choice but to fire gunshots. When some people in the crowd were injured, the crowd began dispersing,” the FIR adds.  Meanwhile, as more police personnel were dispatched as reinforcements at the scene, the five prime accused allegedly tried to escape but were cornered inside the police station by the officers on the spot. “We arrested them and also 200 others in connection with the case,” the FIR  states. 

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