Kidnap rumours trigger riots in Davangere
A PWD patrolling vehicle was torched and a few people, including a police and a DAR constable, were injured in the incident
By : gururaj b.r.
Update: 2015-09-07 06:26 GMT
Davangere: Rumours that some miscreants were trying to kidnap led to riots with the police resorting to mild lathicharge to disperse the mobs in Hosahalli in the taluk on Saturday. A PWD patrolling vehicle was torched and a few people, including a police and a DAR constable, were injured in the incident.
A PWD department vehicle was patrolling the area to check illegal sand mining on the banks of Tungabhadra river near Hosahalli village in the taluk when a girl suddenly came in the way of the vehicle. She screamed and the villagers, thinking that the girl was being kidnapped, started rioting. They picketed the Sasivehalli police station and picked up a quarrel with the police.
Sensing that the situation was going out of control, a police constable tried to take the driver of the PWD vehicle on a motorbike, but five to six people started following them. The police constable and the driver jumped from the vehicle and escaped.
Villagers, angry that the police were letting the “kidnapper” escape, assaulted the constable, Gurubasappa. Hearing the news, Honbanalli Circle Inspector Maheshwara Gowda and Sub-Inspector Ashwin Kumar arrived at the spot and tried to control the situation. But when the mob refused to relent, the District Armed Reserve police were called and a mild lathi-charge was ordered to disperse the crowds, said Superintendent of Police Boralingaiah, who visited the spot on Saturday night along with Rural DySP B.S. Nemagowa. He held discussion with the villagers till late into night.