K’taka: 100 unidentified persons booked for assaulting ‘activists’ while questioning illegal Bangladeshis
Bengaluru: Hebbagodi police on Thursday have registered a case against 100 unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting four “activists”, including the Bengaluru district President of a Hindu organisation, for questioning illegal Bangladeshi nationals, in Shikaripalya on October 28.
According to the complaint filed by T. Nagendrappa, Bengaluru district president of Rashtrarakshana Pade, an unidentified person called him around 10 am on October 28 and informed him that Bangladeshi nationals were staying in Shikaripalya.
Acting on the information, Nagendrappa visited the area around 4.30 pm along with Amit, Pawan and Santosh Kartal, who are also members of the organisation.
The complainant alleged that when they reached a shed in the area, some workers confronted them and questioned why they were harassing them by identifying them as Bangladeshis. The workers allegedly objected to their presence and began throwing stones and pieces of glass at the four men.
According to the complaint, when Nagendrappa and his associates attempted to escape from the spot, around 100 unidentified persons allegedly chased them. The group allegedly knocked the four men to the ground and assaulted them by kicking them on their heads, legs, chests and backs.
The assailants also allegedly threatened to kill them during the attack, the complainant stated. Nagendrappa has sought legal action against those responsible for the alleged assault.
The incident reportedly occurred after Nagendrappa received information about the presence of Bangladeshi nationals in the locality. However, the complaint, as described, does not establish the nationality of the workers involved or independently verify the information received by him.
Hebbagodi police have registered a case under Sections 115(2), 118(1), 189(2), 190 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The sections relate to offences including voluntarily causing hurt, causing hurt using dangerous means, unlawful assembly, liability for offences committed by members of an unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation.
Further investigation is expected to establish the circumstances leading to the confrontation and identify those allegedly involved in the assault.
It can be recalled that the Karnataka High Court had strongly rebuked the Bengaluru Police and quashed two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against Bengaluru-based doctor and activist T. Nagendrappa.
Nagendrappa alerted authorities about the suspected presence of illegal Bangladeshi nationals (Nasreena and Mohammad Bilal) living in the Bellandur and Varthur areas.
Instead of verifying the claims, the police quickly registered criminal cases and arrested Nagendrappa based on a counter-complaint of assault filed by the individuals he reported.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna criticised the police for acting with “unusual haste” and labelled the prosecution an abuse of legal process. The court noted that the counter-complaints bore the unmistakable imprint of retaliation against an informant.