A rivalry between two gangs in Bengaluru blew the lid on an attack on three people including a woman, in East Bengaluru’s Indiranagar, early on 1 January 2018. Two men were arrested for allegedly being a part of a mob that was caught on camera assaulting the three.
The arrests were made after CCTV footage showed the mob thrashing the three, after the bike they were riding brushed against one person. The incriminating footage was released on social media by a rival gang.
Bengaluru police commissioner T Suneel Kumar told The Quint that the incident was a clear case of road rage and there was no molestation. He also insisted that the girl was not attacked. “The arrested men are ‘rowdy sheeters’ (persons with a criminal background). We have registered cases under several sections, including assault and wrongful restraint,” he said.
However, Gautham, a Darjeeling native who was among the three who were beaten up, challenged the claim. Gautham told The Quint that the woman in question was his sister and alleged that she had been attacked. “The attack was sudden, we didn’t get time to react as well. I was returning from work and we had picked up our sister from her workplace… one of the men slapped her,” he said.
What’s in the Video?
CCTV footage shows a group of men dancing and creating a ruckus at a junction in Indiranagar – purportedly under the influence of alcohol. “These men were dancing in the middle of the road. CCTV footage also shows them harassing other commuters prior to the attack as well. The victims of the attack, who were travelling on a motorcycle, didn’t expect anyone on the road. But on the seeing the crowd, the rider applied brakes,” an Indiranagar police officer told The Quint. Despite attempting to bring the vehicle to a halt, it brushed against one of the men from the group.
More NYE Shame for Bengaluru
Seemanth Kumar Singh, additional commissioner, law and order (East) told reporters it was “unfortunate” that the incident occurred despite the heavy police presence and security measures in place for the day.
“We have taken suo motu case and two men are in custody. More arrests will take place soon. We will also look into how this incident took place despite the security arrangements on New Year’s Eve,” he said.
This is the second consecutive year that NYE festivities in Bengaluru have been marred by violence. On the intervening night of 31 December 2016 and 1 January 2017, a number of women were molested, harassed and eve-teased on the streets of Bengaluru by fellow revellers. Police had beefed up security for NYE celebrations in a bid to avoid a repeat of the incident.
(This is a developing story and will be updated.)
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