History-sheeters, fringe groups playing havoc in city

One of the staffers asked the girl to move aside to make way for him. This enraged the group, and they started abusing the staff at the shop

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: At least three staffers were injured when a history-sheeter wreaked havoc at a liquor shop in the Adugodi Police Station limits in the city. The incident allegedly took place on February 25 but came to light recently. As per sources, Santosh, a history-sheeter, visited the liquor shop along with his friends, including a girl, to celebrate the girl's birthday. The girl is said to be a native of Uttar Pradesh.

As the group was partying, one of the staffers allegedly asked the girl to move aside to make way for him. This enraged the group, and they started abusing the staff at the shop. During the heated argument that ensued between the two groups, Santosh is said to have whipped out a sword and began damaging glasses and counters inside the shop. He allegedly also attacked three staffers.

A complaint was filed against Santosh at the jurisdictional police station regarding the matter after which police procured CCTV footage of the incident and initiated investigation. In another incident, a 22-year-old electrical engineer employed at a private firm was allegedly beaten up by four persons for not speaking in Kannada at a pub on Kasturba Road in the city. According to sources, the incident took place on March 4.

The victim, identified as Raghav Singh, managed to escape from the attackers and got himself admitted to a private hospital and filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police after being discharged on Monday. In his complaint, Raghav has stated that he was sitting on the terrace of the pub around 11.30 pm when a man came up to him and without reason started talking to him in Kannada.

When Raghav told him that he did not understand Kannada and asked him to speak either in English or Hindi, the man took offence and began assaulting him while three of his friends joined him in the attack within a few minutes. One of them allegedly assaulted Raghav with a liquor bottle. In his bid to escape from the attackers, an injured Raghav pushed them away and escaped from the pub. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case of assault and criminal intimidation.

Efforts are on to track down the attackers, police said. The incident came to light a few days after an autorickshaw driver was seen harassing a youth working for a bike taxi firm in a video clip. The autorickshaw driver can be heard calling the youth a 'foreigner' before smashing his helmet on the ground in full rage. Cops are on the lookout for him.