BENGALURU: The man who allegedly caused a lot of damage during violent Cauvery protests in the city on September 12 has been arrested by the Byatarayanapura police. Prakash alias ‘Kannada’ Prakash, 40, a resident of Bapujinagar and the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) general secretary of Bengaluru city, allegedly instigated other KRV members to go on the rampage and cause maximum damage to public and private property on September 12.
The Byatarayanapura police had taken him into preventive custody ahead of the Karnataka Bandh on September 9. But the police released him the same day as they now say they wanted a peaceful bandh.
When violence erupted three days later, Prakash reportedly took advantage of the situation. Though he was in a protest in Mandya, he coordinated with his followers in the city over phone and instigated them to set fire to Tamil Nadu registration vehicles.
“It is established that he was involved in an attempt to set fire to a lorry bearing Tamil Nadu registration near Channapatna on September 12. He was also involved in throwing stones at Adyar Anand Bhavan restaurant in Bidadi and trying to block vehicles on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway the same day. He directed women KRV activists to barge into Akshaya Motors in Kengeri and vandalise property. His role has been established in the arson and other damage to property in Byatarayanapura police limits the same day,” the police said.
Earlier, the police had booked Prakash for allegedly obstructing the movement of Metro at Nayanadahalli Metro Station during a bandh against Mahadayi issue. He had painted black a few Tamil Nadu buses at Satellite Bus Station on Mysuru Road, the police said.
