The occasions that unfolded on Tuesday evening had been one thing Bengaluru metropolis police oldtimers hadn’t seen in a very long time. For the children, it was brand new expertise. The males in uniform could have dealt with extra widespread violence and even outbursts in densely populated pockets, however, they by no means lasted lengthily.
Tuesday evening’s sustained guerrilla-like motion against them over a reasonably large grid of bylanes and slender roads in east Bengaluru was one thing they hadn’t anticipated. The violence was unfolding over three localities — Kavalbyrasandra, KG Halli and DJ Halli — below KG Halli and DJ Halli police station limits.
The drama started around 7 pm in entrance of Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy’s home and lasted until 2 am. Things deteriorated after 10 pm as mobs locked up KG Halli and DJ Halli stations and torched police automobiles.
Additional reinforcements that rushed from numerous elements of town to assist colleagues on the two stations had been on the receiving finish of a barrage of stones, bricks, bottles and different objects at each step.
Police officers mentioned streetlights had been broken and at a number of locations, they needed to negotiate highway blocks at the hours of darkness. Vehicles that rioters had harmed or set on fireplace had been pushed to the centre of the highway to cease cops of their tracks.
“Accompanied by 75 police officials, I had to walk through small lanes of KG Halli. Even as we were walking, stones were first hurled at streetlights, plunging the entire area into darkness. The next moment, flower pots, stones of all sizes, bottles, tyres, wooden logs and bricks started raining on us. Our personnel’s protective shields broke and my men were injured. That is when we ordered firing in the air,” mentioned police commissioner Kamal Pant.
es fireplace truck that was passing by way of Tannery Road to achieve KG Halli police station couldn’t make a lot of headway because it bore the brunt of mob fury. “Two fire tenders had already reached the spot and were dousing vehicles set on fire. Half-a-kilometre before the station, a mob blocked our path.
They smashed the glasses of our vehicle. We were pulled out and some of them started beating us. Luckily, a posse of armed police, who saw us, came running towards us, but the mob surrounded them too,” mentioned a fireplace brigade personnel.
The slender lanes of KG Halli offered the mobs the proper alternative to nook police and attack them, mentioned one other senior police official. “Mobs were everywhere. We’d cleared one and another would emerge on another road. They weren’t all locals,” he mentioned.
“Only after several rounds were fired in the air and tear gas shells lobbed did the mobs begin to retreat. Religious preachers and political leaders arrived too, but it was too late,” the officer added.
Source: Times Of India
