Tension prevailed after violence erupted in several parts of Southern Bangalore as fans of Kannada star, Vishnuvardhan, who passed away in Mysore in the early hours, went berserk. More than 50 vehicles were damaged and scores of people including several police personnel were injured in the violence that also left private properties damaged.
Miscreants threw petrol bombs near Basavangudi National College grounds, where the mortal remains of the popular Kannada actor has been kept for the public to pay their last respects. They were then chased away by lathi wielding police personnel. Police also burst tear gas shells to bring the situation under control after it threatened to blow out of proportion.
Angry fans, who were unable to get a glimpse of the star, resorted to stone pelting in which several houses and business establishments in the vicinity bore the brunt. The violent mob also damaged a portion of the retaining wall of the National College flyover while some others resorted to stone pelting and damaged vehicles on DVG Road and Gandhi Bazaar.
“We had to resort to lathicharge after the mob tried to set some police vehicles on fire and threw a petrol bomb at the crowd from the top of the flyover,” a police official told The Hindu. According to the official, 20 platoons from the City Armed Reserve (CAR) and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) have been deployed to maintain law and order, while officials and personnel on leave have been called to report to duty.
Violence has also been reported from several other places in the city where buses were damaged in stone pelting incidents. Buses were pelted with stones in Sunkadakatte, Magadi Road and Rajajinagar.
In most areas of South Bangalore including Banashankari, Girinagar, Jayanagar and Basavanagudi, shops and business establishments either closed voluntarily or were forced to shut shop by the fans. Theatres, shopping malls and hotels remained closed while the Government declared a state holiday for educational institutions. Buildings that have a glass façade put up safety nets to prevent damage in the event of stone pelting.
By late afternoon, violence also spread to some areas in the industrial belt of Peenya where hundreds of small and medium industries are located. Several industrial units were pelted with stones and forced to shut down by the mob.
40 buses damaged
Across the city, miscreants damaged about 40 buses, affecting bus services. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) withdrew most of its bus services in Jayanagar, Basavangudi, Uttarahalli, Kengeri and other areas, the BMTC Managing Director Zameer Pasha said, and added that the move was to safeguard BMTC property.
Meanwhile, thousands of autorickshaws also stayed off the road.
