The police were forced to fire at the unruly mob to bring the situation under control in Kaval Byrsandara in Bengaluru on Tuesday night, said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday.
He told reporters in Udupi that the mob threw stones at two police stations, set several vehicles ablaze and also threw stones at the house of Congress MLA R. Akhanda Srinivasamurthy. “After trying all possible ways, the police, as a last resort, had to fire and bring the situation under control.” Three persons died, while several were injured, including some policemen of which one has sustained serious head injury. As many as 110 persons have been arrested.
While the situation has been brought under control, additional force, including Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel, has been requisitioned. The State government is getting six companies of Central Reserve Police Force personnel from Hyderabad and Chennai. Rapid Action Force personnel will be called. He was in constant touch with the Director General and Inspector General of Police and State Home Secretary and monitoring the situation.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will hold a meeting with senior police officers where the mode of further investigation into the violence will be chalked out.
Terming the incident as a planned one, Mr. Bommai said perpetrators have threatened on Facebook the person who posted a defamatory message on social media. Local people have joined perpetrators to create unrest in the area. The police are gathering CCTV footage and other technical evidence to trace the perpetrators, he said.
