Mad rush as man flings cash from flyover

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a city where the poor are either dying of hunger or resorting to petty crimes, the ones who are blessed with wealth crave for the limelight by hook or crook. Bengaluru police on Tuesday detained a person for causing a nuisance in public by throwing currency notes from above the Balagangadharanatha Swamiji flyover in the city.

The accused, identified as Arun, 30, who claimed to be an event manager for a Bengaluru-based private firm, was seen throwing about three-four bundles of Rs 10 currency notes from the flyover causing chaos in the market area below the flyover around 11 am.

The accused had a wall clock hanging around his neck. In a video clip, which was shared by the accused himself across social media platforms, people were seen running to the middle of the road in an attempt to grab the currency notes disrupting traffic. Before police could rush to the spot, the accused had already left the place.

In one of the video clips, people can be seen and heard requesting Arun to give away the money instead of throwing it. However he continued to throw the wads of cash he had brought in a carry bag, below the flyover.

According to police, he threw currency notes worth Rs 3,000. After videos of the incident emerged, the city market police took suo motu cognizance and booked the accused under sections 283 (danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation) and 290 (punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 92 (D) (punishment of certain street offences and nuisance) of the Karnataka Police Act.

Sources from police told News Trail that when the police reached his office in Nagarbhavi, they saw Arun resting on an easy chair. The cops picked him up for an inquiry in connection with the case.

“The accused during the inquiry insisted that he had his reason to do so but added that he will elaborate later, sources added. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru West, Laxman Nimbargi later in the day said, “During the inquiry, we found that he did it for promotion and publicity as he is an anchor and event manager. He, along with his friend Satish, arrived this morning at the flyover and threw the money. He chose the location since it was a crowded place.

The videos were also shared by him on Facebook , Instagram and WhatsApp,” the DCP said. According to police, the first two provisions are punishable with a fine of Rs 200. The third section can lead to a maximum of Rs 100 fine.