BENGALURU: Ruling Congress MLA N A Haris' son Mohammed Nalapad Haris, who allegedly assaulted a man at an upscale pub-cum-restaurant here and surrendered today before police amid high drama, has been booked for attempt to murder.
"Police have booked a case against Nalapad under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code," DCP (Central) Chandragupta told PTI.
Police also booked him under IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), 143 and 144 (unlawful assembly), 146 and 147 (rioting), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
Later in the day, he was produced before the magisterial court, which granted two-day police custody, he said.
Remaining elusive after police booked him and his friends in the pub brawl case on February 17 night, Nalapad turned up at the Cubbon Park police station and surrendered earlier in the day, as the incident became a major political issue ahead of the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.
As Nalapad surrendered, BJP and JD(S) activists gathered outside the police station and staged a protest, leading to friction with supporters of the MLA, who had also assembled there.
A few mediapersons were allegedly attacked by some persons at the Cubbon Park police station where Nalapad surrendered.
Police has registered a seperate FIR in this regard, Chandragupta said.
The MLA told reporters that he had advised his son to surrender before the police.
The police were on the hunt for Nalapad after the parents of Vidwat (24), a management graduate, had lodged a complaint against him and 10 of his friends.
It was alleged that during the brawl, Vidwat was kicked, punched and his head smashed with a liquor bottle.
Nalapad and his friends had also allegedly barged into the hospital where Vidwat was admitted following the incident, and threatened him.
Facing heat over accusations of not acting swiftly, top police officials had ordered Nalapad's arrest and a police inspector was suspended within minutes after the deadline set for his arrest expired last evening.
As the incident had triggered a political backlash with the BJP and JD(S) accusing the state government of trying to protect Nalapad, who was the Bengaluru District Youth Congress general secretary, a red-faced Congress expelled him from the party for six years.
Nalapad and his friends had allegedly beaten up Vidwat at the pub-cum-restaurant in UB City on February 7, after they felt offended over the latter extending his feet, cast in plaster, towards their table.
Vidwat is currently undergoing treatment in a private hospital.