Trouble began when the police advised the protestors to vacate the place since the classes for primary, high school and college students were in progress. The protestors refused to follow the police's advice.
Bengaluru Police resorted to lathicharge on Tuesday after a group of protesting parents refused to move away from the Holy Shepherd Education Society. The group consisted mostly of Manipuris whose students studied at the school. The parents were holding a silent protest against the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl that took place at the school.
The protest began at 9.30 am in front of the Holy Shepherd Education Society situated on 9th Cross, Indiranagar. The sexual assault allegedly took place on Monday. The police have taken the alleged culprit, a 25-year-old security guard hailing from Kolkata, into custody.
The protest went smoothly till 11.30 am. Trouble began when police advised the protestors to vacate the place since classes for primary, high school and college students were in progress. The protestors refused to follow the police's instructions. Meanwhile, a policeman brought a copy of the police complaint against the accused to show proof of police taking action against the culprit. After going through the copy of the complaint, the protestors left the spot but continued the protest near the Arya Samaj, a few hundred metres away from the spot.
The police insisted that the protesters leave and go home. The women protestors refused to leave the spot and a tussle took place between the agitators and the police. The police finally resorted to lathicharge on the agitators.
Meanwhile, one of the protestors manhandled a female constable. This led to other policemen beating the man up. Some of the women protestors rushed to rescue the person and thrashed the women constables.
Pedestrians, commuters and motorists and shop owners in the area did not know what was going on.
Finally, the police succeeded in catching the violent protestor (woman) with the help of autorickshaw drivers and pedestrians. The protestor was bundled into an autorickshaw and taken to the police station.
Speaking with Iamin, Michael of Thadou Students’ Association criticised the police for not taking action against the management of the Holy Shepherd Education Society for its failure in ensuring a safe environment for students. “The girl’s father works at a restaurant and the mother is a housewife. They reside on Dharmaraja Koil Street in Shivajinagar. As of now, the girl is undergoing treatment at Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital. We want the police to take stringent action against the culprits,’’ Michael said.
Meanwhile, according to police sources, no action can be taken till the girl identifies the culprit. “We are following all procedures. It will take some time for the girl to identify the culprit since the girl is too young to have the ability to identify the accused,’’ the police inspector said.
When Iamin contacted, Venugopal BL, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Indiranagar Division, he said that he was not aware of the protest since he was on duty the previous night. “I am visiting the spot. Indirangar Police Inspector informed me about the protest. I also spoke with one of the protestors (Michael) to ensure the agitation is peaceful. I am not aware of the police lathicharge. I will get all the details after visiting the spot. I will not spare those who took law into their hands,’’ said Venugopal.
For more hyperlocal stories, visit iamin.in.
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