BENGALURU: Home Minister R Ramalinga Reddy on Monday admitted that the goonda act by Congress MLA N A Haris son’s has damaged the party’s image, but categorised the act of assault as a “petty offence” while replying to reporters’ queries.
The admission came when Reddy avoided a volley of questions fired by mediapersons on why a rowdy sheet was not opened against Haris’ son Mohammed Nalapad Haris. Reddy said he “cannot be included in the rowdy list due to recent relaxations, wherein a rowdy sheet cannot be opened against those involved in petty offences and against those above 70 years.”
Mediapersons were quick to ask whether the act of Mohammed brutally assaulting Vidvat was a petty offence. To this, Reddythe minister took an evasive action and merely pointed at how those involved in vandalism were either externed from the city or charged under the Goonda Act. Reddy said he had come across photographs of Mohammed in possession of half a dozen firearms and agreed to direct the police commissioner to investigate.
Reddy refused to register a suo motu case to ensure justice to the Bengaluru woman, a resident of BTM Layout constituency, who had last week alleged that Mohammed and his cronies had harassed her two years ago. “Instead of expressing her grievance on Facebook, she should have filed a complaint with the ACP, DCP, commissioner or even with me,’’ he said.
By frequently quoting the state’s contribution to the country’s overall crime rate being less than 5 per cent, Reddy avoided a reply over the opposition’s demand that Haris should resign.