BENGALURU: Hours after the Congress went around town putting up the posters 'Pay CM', with the photos of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which greatly embarrassed the government, the police went after the social media team of the Congress.
B R Naidu who was the former head of social media was picked up from his upmarket Embassy apartment in Vasanthnagar and taken to the High Grounds police station by four policemen at about 2 am as his petrified wife called up the KPCC social media teams and other Congress leaders frantically for help, according to a source in the Congress social media team.
Another social media resource person D A Gagan Yadav, son of Congress leader D A Gopal and nephew of former Congress minister A Krishnappa was picked up by the police from his residence in K R Puram and taken to Sadashivanagar police station where he was being questioned by the police.
The official KPCC Whatsapp group put out a virtual SOS at 2.14 am, "Dear media persons it is past 2 am in the middle of the night. Former chairman of KPCC Social Media department BR Naidu was taken by four policemen from the High Grounds police station to question him about the 'Pay CM,' poster. KPCC requests media representatives to please come near High Grounds. His family is worried. Media representatives are requested to cooperate.''
Earlier in the day, Bengaluru Police Commissioner C H Pratap Reddy said the police are on the hunt for those who pasted the ‘PayCM’ posters. “The Central Division Police registered cases under the Public Places Disfigurement Act,” he said. The cases have been transferred to the City Crime Branch (CCB).
The commissioner said he has directed all DCPs to look for such posters in their respective divisions and register cases. On Wednesday morning, the High Grounds police registered a case pertaining to the posters.
Later in the day, the Sadashivanagar and the Seshadripuram police registered cases. All three police stations come under the Central division and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned is looking into the matter. The cases have been registered following complaints from BBMP officials.
‘PayCM’ posters surfaced even in North Division’s J C Nagar and Sanjaynagar police station limits and East division’s Bharathinagar police station limits.“If the posters are found elsewhere, police will file a case. We are also examining CCTV footage of a hotel where the posters were found,” the commissioner.
The posters have been pasted in bus shelters and also at construction sites. Most of the posters which were put up at Mekhri Circle, Palace Road, Balekundri Circle and other places were removed by the civic authorities.