Karnataka - Mysore

Mysore BJP Yuva Morcha chief attacked

MYSORE: With the police making efforts to restore peace in the communal violence-affected areas here, four unidentified persons allegedly attacked the city BJP Yuva Morcha president and his friend with blunt weapons, causing serious injuries to them, at C.V. Road in N.R. Police Station limits on Friday evening.

According to the police, the miscreants, who came in two motorcycles, allegedly attacked Giridhar and Wajid while they were talking on the roadside. The miscreants also damaged Giridhar’s car.

Mr. Giridhar has been admitted to hospital with serious head injuries where he underwent surgery while Wajid, who apparently suffered deep cuts in the attack, is recuperating at another hospital.

“We believe that the incident is not connected to Thursday’s violence at Kyathamaranahalli and old rivalry is suspected to be the reason for the attack,” said Police Commissioner Sunil Agarwal.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.P.C. are in force in N R Police station limits since Thursday.

Meanwhile, Kyathamaranahalli, Shantinagar, Gousia Nagar and nearby localities in Udaigiri police station limits, which witnessed violence on Thursday, are slowly returning to normality. Gun-totting personnel of the Rapid Action Force staged a flag march in the trouble-torn areas on Friday as a confidence-building measure.

Three persons, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed in the violence following desecration of a religious school in Gayathripuram 2nd Stage.

Many residents preferred to stay indoors. Shops and business establishments remained closed. Schools and colleges were also closed. Most streets in the sensitive areas wore a deserted look with police and RAF personnel dotting them. The post-mortem on the bodies of three persons who were killed in the violence was performed at K.R. Hospital on Friday.

The police said they have arrested 50 persons in connection with the violence, which claimed three lives.

Director-General and Inspector-General of Police Ajai Kumar Singh, who rushed to the city on Friday to take stock of the situation, held a high-level meeting with top police officers.

Addressing journalist, Mr. Singh appealed to the residents to maintain peace and harmony. He said two companies of Rapid Action Force from Coimbatore along with the police forces from southern districts had been deployed in the trouble-torn areas. Asked about the suspected involvement of some radical outfits in the recent and Thursday’s communal clashes, Mr. Singh said, “We are verifying inputs of the intelligence. The visuals of mob violence available with the police and also with electronic media will be examined to ascertain the information.”

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