Bangalore Sweatbox

One killed as Bangalore logs out to mourn Rajkumar(LEAD)

By Indo Asian News Service

Bangalore, April 13 (IANS) One person was killed in police firing Thursday as anguished crowds mourning the death of Kannada thespian Rajkumar swarmed the city that came to a grinding halt with all establishments, including hundreds of IT firms, shutting down as a mark of respect.

The police firing took place near the Kanteerva stadium where the body of Kannada thespian Rajkumar was kept for people to pay homage, a top police official said.

'One of the fans, Muniraju, received bullet injuries when the police fired in self-defence after they were attacked by an angry mob with a hail of stones. The victim succumbed to injuries on way to hospital,' Additional Commissioner of Police Gopla Hosur told IANS over the phone.

Police had a tough time controlling the crowds that had gathered from across at the stadium since morning for a glimpse of their celluloid hero.

Explaining what had happened, a senior police official said: 'Though elaborate arrangements were made for people to pay homage to Rajkumar inside the stadium, hundreds of fans grew restless when their turn did not come despite waiting outside for hours.

'As time was running out for the cortege to be taken in a procession for last rites, impatient fans gate crashed into the stadium by attacking the police with stones and sticks.'

The police resorted to firing to regulate the crowds and the state reserve police and Rapid Action Force were deployed in and around the stadium.

With great difficulty, the police managed to allow Rajkumar's family to take out the glass cortege, mounted on a flower-bedecked van, from the stadium in a 15 km procession for the last rites with state honours and 21-gun salute.

The crowds at the stadium comprised young and old, women and children. Many sobbed and chanted 'Rajkumar jai' and 'Annavaru amar rahe' (Longlive Rajkumar).

According to a police official, over 100,000 fans joined the procession that meandered through the city on its last journey for the state funeral.

There were other incidents of violence with torching of buses and sporadic attacks on policemen near the Kanteerva sports stadium.

The corporate world and the government shut down.

While 1,500 IT and BPO firms, including global software majors like Infosys and Wipro, shut for the day, the Karnataka government declared a two-day mourning for the superstar and ordered closure of offices, courts, banks, business establishments, hotels and movie theatres.

Some of the major call centres, however, were working to provide essential services to their global customers on 24x7 basis.

Big-ticket companies like Infosys and Wipro directed their employees to stay put at home and avoid commuting to their workplace in the electronics city on the outskirts of Bangalore in the absence of public transport and an undeclared shutdown.

'As the state government has declared a two-day official mourning Wednesday, we have advised our employees to stay away from work Thursday and report to duty Friday. We intend to make up for the day's loss of work by asking the employees to work either this or next Saturday,' an Infosys official told IANS.

Besides IT and biotech firms, hundreds of manufacturing and allied industries across verticals were also closed as a mark of respect to the legendary matinee idol.

In the wake of sporadic violence, arson and stone-throwing incidents since Wednesday evening, bus services across the city were withdrawn. Even taxis and three-wheeler autos stayed away, leaving the streets deserted on an otherwise working day.

The bustling metropolis turned into a ghost town as even people with private transport decided to stay indoors.

Cable operators across the city blocked national entertainment channels to mourn the actor's death.

#    posted by Mark Pritchard @ 8:25 AM