BENGALURU: This is probably the first time that the city police were forced to open fire on two miscreants who were on the run after vandalising vehicles. It happened in Kareem Saab Layout in Rajagopalnagar police station limits on Tuesday night.
Late on Sunday night, the two miscreants had allegedly smashed the windscreens, headlights and tail lamps of 14 cars parked on the streets in JC Nagar in Mahalakshmi Layout. The police were then clueless about who had done it. But, totally eight cases were registered in connection with the incident with the Mahalakshmi Layout police.
The police formed a special team to nab the miscreants, and gathered credible information that the two miscreants — Rafi (28) of Kamalanagar and Sudhakar (30) of Prakash Nagar — had committed the crime.
“The team was tipped off that the duo was in a Maruti Zen car at Kareem Saab Layout in Rajagopalnagar police station limits. The police team swung into action and chased the car. Mahalakshmi Layout police inspector Lohit B N fired at the car’s tyre and forced the vehicle to stop. When the policemen surrounded the car asking them to surrender, the duo tried to attack the police team with a dagger and a button knife. In self-defence, Lohith and Subramanya Nagar police inspector Mahendra Kumar opened fire at them. Both accused sustained injuries in their legs and were rushed to hospital,” the police said.
It is learnt that the duo had allegedly robbed a person of his KTM Duke bike in Rajajinagar police station limits, after vandalising the 14 vehicles in JC Nagar. “Rafi is involved in 18 cases including four murder cases registered in Basaveshwara Nagar and Tavarekere police stations. Sudhakar, who is also involved in 18 cases, was absconding after allegedly committing a murder in Sriramapura police station jurisdiction in 2016, and is the prime accused in the case,” the police said.
The police also found out that the accused left the state after committing an offence and committed crimes in the neighbouring states. They are also wanted by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh police.
Car vandals slip through cracks in radar
‘Car vandalism’ is a new crime trend in the city, although it gives no monetary gain to the perpetrators. But it is an irritant for owners of targeted cars that are parked by roadsides at night.While this should compel vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicles are safely parked within their compound walls, a cramped and congested city leaves them no choice but to park them out.
Although the incidents appear isolated, many vehicle owners refrain from complaining to the police or going for a lengthy legal recourse, and instead repair the vehicles at their own cost. Thus, the vandals escape unscathed and the problem persists.
A resident of Malleswaram narrated how last week, at about 11.30 pm, two screaming youths on a two-wheeler sped through the area’s residential lanes as they went about smashing headlights and tail lamps of parked vehicles. That incident did not make news. But many such incidents have been reported — including the Sunday night one in which two vandals targeted 14 vehicles parked on the streets in JC Nagar in Mahalakshmi Layout.
The police, probably for the very first time while targeting car vandals, ended up shooting the two after a chase in Kareem Saab Layout in Rajagopalnagar police station limits on Tuesday night.In February, 2017, windows and windscreen of a hatchback parked by the roadside in Kamakshipalya were broken using stones; while in August of the same year, at least 18 vehicles were vandalised in Sudhamanagar and Vijnanapura. January this year saw vandals targeting two cars including a Toyota Etios wherein accessories and wheels of the vehicles were stolen.
City-based surgeon Dr Vishal Rao, who was on a Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety and also on the state government’s committees of the home and health ministries, a few years ago, to frame the state’s Good Samaritan law, said, “Most acts of vandalism happen under the influence of intoxicants. The vandals may either have an aggressive personality or may be acting under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
According to psychologists, such behaviour is often the outcome of nursing a deep hatred towards affluence and, mostly, high-end vehicles are the targets.There are also more cars per homes now and most landlords treat the road in front of their properties as their parking lanes. Traffic expert Ashish Verma of Transport Engineering Lab, Indian Institute of Science, said, “People tend to park their cars on roads even if they have space within their homes. Vandals can easily access these vehicles.”