The violent mob which attacked the Wistron company in the Narasapura industrial area also allegedly misbehaved with women employees before robbing their valuables, according to the complaint filed by an assistant manager.
She narrated how she resisted the attack, rescued around 400 women employees and helped them get out through a safe passage. Later, she approached the police and filed a complaint based on which the police charged the accused with outraging modesty, unlawful assembly and trespass.
In her complaint, Malini Srinivas, 40, assistant manager, said she noticed a group of 500 contract employees barge into the women’s section of the workplace and start ransacking the premises. The group, armed with iron rods and clubs, started breaking open the staff lockers and taking away the belongings of the employees. A few women staff who noticed this rushed to save their belongings, but the mob misbehaved and assaulted them. While a few managed to save themselves, many of the women staff members lost their belongings in the melee, she alleged.
Sensing trouble, Ms. Srinivas took all the women staff into a room and locked them up. The women staff waited for some time till the mob moved on. Ms. Srinivas later took the women to a safe exit and sent them out, she has said in the complaint.
The police are now recording the statements of Ms. Srinivas and the women staff members to identify the attackers.
Meanwhile, a group of eight policemen who went to Wistron to contain the violence were allegedly attacked by an armed group of around 6,000 men who not only pelted stones at the police party and drove them away, but also vandalised the police vehicle. Muniraju, 40, constable attached to Vemagal, said he was on duty at the industrial area where the attack occurred. According to him, he received a call from the company stating that the company is under attack, and rushed to the spot before informing his senior for back up.
While he reached the spot, Malur inspector Markondappa, along with PSI Kevasavamurthy, head constables Prakash, Subbareddy, Venugopal, police constables Abdul Baig and Manjunath, reached the spot and the police tried to contain the mob, which had gone on a rampage.
The mob turned against them and started pelting stones. Many of them hurled abuses and instigated others to beat up the police, the police said.
The police had to back out to cover themselves from the stones.
Additional policemen rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Police have taken up a case against the attackers, charging them with assaulting government servants while on duty and criminal intimidation.
