SHIVAMOGGA: At least 20 people were injured and around 50 vehicles torched during the funeral procession of a Bajrang Dal worker, forcing police to resort to mild-lathicharge and open teargas shells here on Monday. Police have imposed curfew till 6am Wednesday in Shivamogga city as a precautionary measure.
Harsha, 28, was stabbed by a group of men on Sunday night while he was on his way to have dinner at Bharathi Colony, near New Thirthahalli Road. He succumbed to injuries in hospital. Within 24 hours of the attack, police arrested Khasif, 30, and Sayed Nadeem, 20, in this connection. One more person was reportedly arrested in Bengaluru.
Sporadic violence erupted on Sunday night soon after the incident and police managed to bring it under control. However, trouble began again around 11.30am on Monday when the funeral procession began from McGann Hospital, after the postmortem, to the Rotary cemetery at Vidyanagar.
Defying prohibitory orders, more than 1,000 people accompanied the hear van and indulged in violence when they were passing through Seegahattiwhere Harsh lived.
They ransacked shops, hotels and damaged private vehicles parked on Azad Nagar and New Thirthahalli Road. Vegetable and fruit stalls were vandalised in some areas, and tires were set on fire despite heavy police presence. Mediapersons and their vehicles were not spared.
Curbs on public gatherings; holiday for schools and colleges in district today
Police resorted to batonchargingand lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd at Seegahatti and Azad Nagar. Educational institutions, government offices, shops, commercial establishments, malls, petrol bunks and markets remained closed to prevent unrest.
Police said Harsha was an active member of Bajrang Dal for the past five years and worked for acourier delivery agency. He was reportedly attacked in the past for his alleged hate posts on social media. Police suspect his recent derogatory online post on hijab protests could have angered the community.
Photos of Harsha, in a saffron scarf, protesting at Sahyadri College in Shivamogga, which is in the thick of the hijab controversy, were shared on his social media pages after his murder. Home minister Araga Jnanendra ruled out any link between Harsha’s murder and the hijab protests. “Prima facie, five people are responsible for the murder and three have been arrested,” he added.
Shivamogga district minister KS Eshwarappa, who participated in the last rites of Harsha, said he will urge chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to hand over the murder probe to National Investigation Agency.
The government has deployed 1,200 policemen in Shivamogga to maintain law and order. The home department deputed senior officers led by ADGP S Murugan to monitor the situation and a platoon of Rapid Action Force has been summoned from Chennai.
The district administration has imposed curbs on public gatherings and declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday.
Watch Karnataka: Violence by Bajrang Dal at funeral; curfew in Shivamogga
Harsha, 28, was stabbed by a group of men on Sunday night while he was on his way to have dinner at Bharathi Colony, near New Thirthahalli Road. He succumbed to injuries in hospital. Within 24 hours of the attack, police arrested Khasif, 30, and Sayed Nadeem, 20, in this connection. One more person was reportedly arrested in Bengaluru.
Sporadic violence erupted on Sunday night soon after the incident and police managed to bring it under control. However, trouble began again around 11.30am on Monday when the funeral procession began from McGann Hospital, after the postmortem, to the Rotary cemetery at Vidyanagar.
Defying prohibitory orders, more than 1,000 people accompanied the hear van and indulged in violence when they were passing through Seegahattiwhere Harsh lived.
They ransacked shops, hotels and damaged private vehicles parked on Azad Nagar and New Thirthahalli Road. Vegetable and fruit stalls were vandalised in some areas, and tires were set on fire despite heavy police presence. Mediapersons and their vehicles were not spared.
Curbs on public gatherings; holiday for schools and colleges in district today
Police resorted to batonchargingand lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd at Seegahatti and Azad Nagar. Educational institutions, government offices, shops, commercial establishments, malls, petrol bunks and markets remained closed to prevent unrest.
Police said Harsha was an active member of Bajrang Dal for the past five years and worked for acourier delivery agency. He was reportedly attacked in the past for his alleged hate posts on social media. Police suspect his recent derogatory online post on hijab protests could have angered the community.
Photos of Harsha, in a saffron scarf, protesting at Sahyadri College in Shivamogga, which is in the thick of the hijab controversy, were shared on his social media pages after his murder. Home minister Araga Jnanendra ruled out any link between Harsha’s murder and the hijab protests. “Prima facie, five people are responsible for the murder and three have been arrested,” he added.
Shivamogga district minister KS Eshwarappa, who participated in the last rites of Harsha, said he will urge chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to hand over the murder probe to National Investigation Agency.
The government has deployed 1,200 policemen in Shivamogga to maintain law and order. The home department deputed senior officers led by ADGP S Murugan to monitor the situation and a platoon of Rapid Action Force has been summoned from Chennai.
The district administration has imposed curbs on public gatherings and declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday.
Watch Karnataka: Violence by Bajrang Dal at funeral; curfew in Shivamogga
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