Bengaluru violence: Sec 144 imposed

Three persons were killed and several others injured as violence erupted in East Bengaluru and police opened fire, burst tear gas shells and lathi-charged mobs that attacked K G Halli and DJ Halli police stations at late night on August 11.

Curfew has been imposed in the affected areas in and around DJ Halli and KG Halli and restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) imposed in Bengaluru.

The violence broke out over a Facebook message posted allegedly by a relative of a Congress MLA on a communal issue.

Protesters set many vehicles on fire and surrounded by MLA Srinivas’s Murthy house in the city. Mr. Murthy’s nephew Naveen, who allegedly posted the message on Facebook, has been arrested.

People went on a rampage, torched many police and private vehicles. Scores of persons, including around 50 policemen, were injured in the violence that erupted on August 11 and continued till the wee hours of August 12. . An ATM was smashed into pieces.

In tweets this morning, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa condemned the attack and said strict action will be taken against the perpetrators of the violence.

The Congress MLA had released a video appealing to people to maintain peace. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai also released a video message, saying people should not take law into their own hands.