Karnataka - Bangalore

Unruly New Year revellers caned

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, DEC. 31. The crowds of New Year revellers turned unruly around midnight when the police tried to disperse them from Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road. There were cheers and shouts of Happy New Year when the clock struck 12. The police, who were indulgently looking on at the crowds of mostly youngsters, first asked them politely to disperse, but the revellers were in no mood to obey. Bottles and footwear were thrown at the police. At this time, the police thought enough was enough and used some mild force. The crowds were chased beyond Mayo Hall and beyond the War Memorial on the Brigade Road-Residency Road junction. But the crowds regrouped at these places and were still there around 12.30 p.m.

The crowds that were thinner in the beginning gathered strength as time progressed. Patrol vehicles and policemen were stationed at strategic points of the central business district. Parking of vehicles had been banned on many of the roads since evening. For quite some time, the police tried to prevent large groups of revellers from gathering around roadside. After 11 p.m., more people began exiting from bars, pubs and restaurants on to the sidewalks. Some were just curious to see what the crowds outside were up to.

Most people on the roads were youngsters with a sprinkling of couples. Many others obviously preferred to return home early to ring in the New Year.

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