The police in Bengaluru have arrested 149 people in connection with the violence in the city over a Facebook post. The death toll rose to three on Wednesday after one more injured person succumbed to injuries sustained in Tuesday’s clashes.
Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal pant said that 60 cops, including an Additional Commissioner of Police, were injured while trying to control the violence in the DJ Halli and KG Halli areas.
The police said they have arrested the man accused of sharing the controversial post which the protesters from the minority community say allegedly insulted a religious figure. News agency ANI quoted police commissioner Pant as saying that the accused has been identified as Naveen who is the nephew of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy.
People familiar with the developments said that the youth has denied his role saying that his social media account was hacked.
Pant further appealed to everyone to cooperate with the force in order to maintain peace.
The clashes took place in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshi Nagar area on Tuesday night when he protesters, irked over the Facebok post, vandalised a police station and a Congress legislator’s residence. They hurled bottles and stones at the lawmaker’s house and the policemen.
Some of the vehicles parked near the MLA’s house were also damaged.
Murthy later released a video message where he appealed to the protesters to not resort to violence. “There is no need to fight. We all are brothers. We will get the person punished as per law. We will also be with you,” he said in the video message.
Section 144 has been imposed across Bengaluru after the violence. State home minister B Bommai said that nobody will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. He also added that additional police forces have been deployed to maintain law and order. The situation in the city remains tense but police assured that matters have been brought under control.
Bommai will meet chief minister BS Yediyurappa to brief him about the situation.
