BENGALURU: Unidentified miscreants went on the rampage and smashed windshields of at least 23 vehicles including 17 cars in Thyagrajanagar in the early hours of Wednesday. The list of vehicles damaged includes cars, tempo travellers and even autorickshaws.
Around 10 vehicles, including a brand new Swift Dzire, that is not even registered, were damaged at 2nd Main in Byrappa Block. The miscreants then went around the entire locality in and around Anjaneya Temple Road and damaged vehicles. They include those parked at 7th, 7thA, 10th cross and surrounding areas.
Muniraju, owner of the 407 pickup truck, told The New Indian Express that the criminals had thrown a boulder on the front windshield of the vehicle damaging it completely. “My brother, Shyam, woke up due to the sound and went out to check what was happening. He found my vehicle as well as his 709 pickup truck damaged.”
Uttamchand Jain, who stays in the same road, said, “There was no power supply when the miscreants vandalised the vehicles.”Another resident who did not want to be named, said, “We suspect some youths, who indulge in substance abuse at Muneshwara Temple, to be behind the incident.” Residents had trouble identifying the persons responsible. Some said they were minors who pelted stones, others blamed a gang with 2-3 vehicles armed with stones and rods. The incident reportedly occurred between 2 am and 3 am, during the Shivaratri Jagrane. Lakshminarayan, General Secretary of the Thyagarajanagar House Owners & Residents Welfare Association, blamed restructuring of police stations for the incident. “Once the Thyagarajanagar station was dissolved, parts of the area fell into Banashankari, CK Acchukattu and Basavanagudi police stations jurisdiction,” he said. Police have registered cases for damage of 23 vehicles and collected CCTV footage from various establishments to identify the accused.