BENGALURU:A group of men, who are said to be workers of a political party, allegedly assaulted a hotel owner at Kammanahalli for opening his establishment during last Monday’s Bharat Bandh. The incident came to light on Sunday — six days after the bandh — when the victim leaked the CCTV footage to news channels. After a complaint, Banasawadi police have booked a case against Ashok Reddy, a Kammanahalli resident, and his aides.
A senior police officer said Ravikumar, owner of Dose Corner hotel, has filed a complaint alleging that a gang of seven men, including Reddy, barged into his eatery. They started arguing with him for opening the eatery during the bandh. As he did not respond properly, they pulled him out and thrashed him before leaving the scene.
Scared, he did not approach the police as the gang included influential persons belonging to a political party. Later, after the CCTV footage he leaked to news channels was telecast, he approached the police.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang allegedly had a fight with Ravikumar earlier and they were waiting to take revenge. The gang took the Bharat Bandh incident as an opportunity and thrashed him. The incident is being given a political twist now,” the officer added.
Incidentally, no incidents of violence were reported across the city on Bharat Bandh, which was called by the Congress in protest against the rising fuel prices. JD(S) too had lent support to the bandh call.