As many as 116 persons, arrested in connection with the Padarayanapura incident, were shifted to Bengaluru from Ramanagaram district prison on Friday amidst heavy police security and medical precautions.
There was latent anger against the BJP government for clearing the Ramanagaram district prison to accommodate those arrested from areas hit by COVID-19 in Bengaluru.
A fleet of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses was used to shift the accused persons to Bengaluru. Several dozens of police personnel and healthcare personnel were pressed into service. Wearing of personal protection equipment (PPE) kits was made mandatory for the bus drivers and the police officials.
The process of shifting the accused from Ramanagaram started in the morning. Nevertheless, it was delayed by a few hours following rains and completion of administrative processes.
The buses left the town in the afternoon, with armed policemen providing protection to the buses.
Govt. criticised
The residents of Ramanagaram district had expressed severe anger against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the Police department for shifting the accused in the Padarayanapura incident to Ramanagaram. They had launched a scathing attack on the government by posting series of messages on social media platforms.
A total of 121 accused were shifted to Ramnagaram. But since the other 5 persons were confirmed as COVID-19 positive, arrangements were made to send them separately to Bengaluru considering the increased level of precautions.
Disinfection
Meanwhile, the Prisons Department has decided to undertake sanitising operations in the district. “We will spray disinfectants,” a senior officer told The Himdu .
Sealing the prison and bringing back the prisoners from the Parappana Agrahara Central jail from Bengaluru will depend on the decision taken by the department, the officer added.
