Eight arrested for hurling stones at Udayagiri police station, vandalism
CCB police arrested eight for the Udayagiri police station attack after a cleric's speech incited violence, injuring 14 officers and damaging vehicles.
The City Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested eight people on Wednesday in connection with the attack on Udayagiri police station on Monday, during which a mob hurled stones and vandalised vehicles, officers aware of the matter said.
The violence allegedly took place following the provocative speech delivered by a cleric, Mufti Mustak Makbuli, they added.
Police identified the arrested accused with the help of CCTV footage. A special team, led by the city police commissioner, is working to track down the other suspects, police said.
The unrest unfolded on Monday night when a group of over 1,000 people gathered outside the police station, allegedly angered by a perceived insult to the Muslim community. The mob set fire on the road and hurled stones at the police station, injuring at least 14 officers and damaging six police vehicles. Police have registered a suo motu case, recording statements from injured officers and assessing the extent of the damage, said a police officer on condition of anonymity.
Police said that most of those involved were aged between 15 and 20 and fled, leaving behind their mobile phones.
Security measures in the area have since been reassessed, with barricades at key road junctions, including Mahadevapura, removed to allow normal traffic flow.
A senior officer confirmed that multiple police vehicles belonging to officers, including deputy commissioner of police (DCP) S Jahnavi, were attacked. “We are investigating the source of the stones used and whether the attack was premeditated. Fourteen officers have been hospitalised,” the officer added.
The incident has triggered a sharp political debate, with the Leader of Opposition in the legislative assembly R Ashoka criticising the state government’s handling of law and order. Visiting Udayagiri following the violence, Ashoka alleged that Karnataka’s law and order situation had collapsed under chief minister Siddaramaiah’s leadership.
“Stone pelting is an unforgivable crime that shames the entire state. The root cause of this chaos is the lacklustre administration of chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has given a free hand to criminal elements. Until November, he will remain a lame-duck chief minister, and I urge him to at least do some good work before then,” Ashoka said.
He further accused home minister G Parameshwara of lacking interest in managing the home department and criticised minister KN Rajanna’s remarks on the police force. “He has insulted and demoralised officers by saying they lack common sense and suggesting that if the department is not functioning, police stations should shut down,” Ashoka said.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra accused the Congress government of minority appeasement and failing to curb communal violence. “Miscreants have grown bold enough to attack a police station... the Congress government has done nothing... Instead, it has fostered an environment of unrest by withdrawing criminal cases against rioters,” he said.
Parameshwara confirmed that orders have been issued to arrest those responsible for the violence. He said that the disturbance began when a crowd of around 200 gathered outside the police station, demanding that an accused — arrested over an objectionable social media post — be handed over to them. When their demand was turned down, the group resorted to stone pelting, forcing police to use tear gas to disperse them.