Two policemen who were trying to disperse a group of people, who were gambling inside the premises of a government school near Siddapura on Sunday, were attacked and chased away. The Varthur police later arrested four persons on the charge of assaulting the policemen.
Abdul Ahad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield), said that Basappa Ganegera and Sharana Basappa, attached to Whitefield police station, were on patrol duty when they received a message about a group of people gambling inside the premises of a school. The duo reached the spot and tried to disperse the crowd, but the group attacked, abused and chased them away while passers-by remained mute spectators, the police said.
The duo managed to escape from the attackers and alert the police control room.
Additional police personnel were sent to the spot. They managed to arrest four persons, who led the attack, based on video footage sent by onlookers to the police.
The arrested persons are Kumar, Sandeep, Murthy and Murali Mohan, all residents of Siddapura. They were booked under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code. They were produced before a magistrate who sent them to judicial custody.
The probe so far has revealed that the constables, on reaching the spot, found the crowd gambling as part of the Ugadi festival celebrations in the government school premises. When they tried to disperse the crowd, one of the gamblers, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol, manhandled one of the policemen.
When the policemen caught him and tried to take him to the police station, the others charged at them for assaulting one of their associates.
The constables sustained injuries and were admitted to a hospital. Doctors said they are responding well to treatment and are out of danger.
