Bangalore Sweatbox

When law and order, too, died

Deccan Herald

Moments after the news of the death of Rajkumar spread, mobs went on the rampage damaging public property, setting fire to buses, cars and other vehicles. Frenzied fans set fire to a petrol bunk near Hudson Circle and torched at least a hundred vehicles, including private and state transport buses in different parts of the City, while scores of vehicles were damaged in the stone-throwing.

Police lobbed tear-gas shells and wielded the lathis to bring the situation under control but with little success even at midnight.

According to police, mobs set fire to six four-wheelers, including two buses, near KR Circle and a bus near Krishi Bhavan. Seven vehicles, including two police vehicles, were set ablaze on Sankey Road. Vandals torched a state car right in front of the Vidhana Soudha and a vehicle in front of the GPO on Ambedkar Road. There were reports of people setting fire to vehicles near Pallavi Theatre. A portion of a consumer fair on Palace Grounds was also torched, the police said.

There were a number of incidents of stone-throwing and burning of tyres on roads. It was an “undeclared bundh” in many areas, as shops and business establishments downed their shutters. The city wore a deserted look by 6 pm. Magadi Road, Kamakshipalya, Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar, Subramanya Nagar, Malleswaram, Srirampuram, Mahalakshmipuram and the City Market were some of the areas which bore the brunt of lawlessness. Violence later spread to areas such as Hudson Circle, Bellary Road, Sampangiram Nagar, Richmond Circle, Ambedkar Veedhi and Basa-veswara Circle. A car was set on fire in Attiguppe, while a bus plying on Uttarahalli Main Road was set ablaze near Gowdanapalya.

The BMTC was forced to withdraw its Volvo services by afternoon and other buses too stopped plying by early evening. As many as 27 BMTC and 18 KSRTC buses, including a Volvo, were damaged. Mobs tried to set fire to two buses on Magadi Road and Bellary Road.

However, police intervened and prevented any untoward incident.

More than 20 platoons of KSRP and 15 platoons of the City Armed Reserve, two platoons of Rapid Action Force have been deployed in the City.

A South Western Railway official said train services were unaffected on Wednesday. The services are not likely to be affected on Thursday.

#    posted by Mark Pritchard @ 8:27 AM