BENGALURU: In a shocking incident of alleged goondagiri, Shanthinagar MLA N.A. Haris’s son Mohammad Nalapad Haris made national headlines after he and his henchmen brutally assaulted a youth at a café in UB City late Saturday.
The incident happened at Farzi Café and Mohammad was later expelled as Congress youth wing general secretary.
The injured youth, Vidvat (24), was assaulted by Mohammad and his 15 goons. He was rushed to Mallya Hospital by his friend Praveen for treatment.
At the hospital too, Mohammad and his men threatened Vidvat against filing a police complaint.
However, the Cubbon Park police, under whose jurisdiction the incident happened, are yet to arrest Mohammad even 24 hours after the incident. They have so far nabbed five of the 15 goons involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, the political leaders from BJP and AAP have attacked the police for their inefficiency and shielding the culprit.
The police, so far, have arrested Abhishek, Arun, Balakrishna, Manjunath and Rachik, all said to be workers of Nalapad Group, run by Mr Haris.
According to the FIR registered by the complainant Praveen at the Cubbon Park police station, Vidvat and he had gone to the the café for dinner. Vidvat, who has recently suffered a fracture, sat stretching his fractured leg.
Around 11 pm, Mohammad came to the cafe and as he passed by Vidvat, he asked him to move his leg.
Eyewitnesses said that when Vidvat told him that his leg was fractured and could not fold it, Mohammad took offence and got into a verbal duel with Vidvat.
Later, Mohammad called up his henchmen and allegedly assaulted Vidvat at the cafe. “They were 10-15 people who beat Vidvat up mercilessly. He was bleeding and his face was so swollen that he could hardly see and his nose was broken. He was attacked with bottles until he fell unconscious,” Praveen said.
The nightmare did not end there for Vidvat and Praveen. When Praveen rushed Vidvat to Mallya Hospital, they reached there and threatened them, claiming that Mohammad was an MLA’s son.
Soon after the incident Vidvat’s family members rushed to the hospital and filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police station.
The police have taken up a case under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), 143 and 144 (unlawful assembly), 146 and 147 (rioting), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace)
Home Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy visited the hospital condemned the attack. He said that he had set a deadline for the police to arrest the accused or face suspension.
“The attack on Vidvat is condemnable and I have spoken to Mr Haris to tell his son to surrender and ensure such incident is not repeated. I have asked the city police commissioner to take strict and immediate action,” he said.
After visiting the victim at the hospital, Mr Haris condemned that incident and maintained that he was unaware of his son’s whereabouts. “No one is above the law. If my son has committed the act, let the police take action against him,” he told reporters.
Vidvat had finished his MBA from Singapore and returned to city a few weeks ago. His father Lokanath is a city-based businessman and they reside in Dollars colony.
Inspector suspended
For failing to arrest Mohammad within the deadline set by the Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Cubbon Park police inspector Vijay Hadgali was suspended by the city Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar for dereliction of duty.Earlier in the day, Mr Reddy had warned the inspector of action if he fails to arrest Mohammad by 8 pm on Sunday. The case has now been handed over to the Central Crime Branch.
To surrender today?
Sources claimed Mohammad was hiding in the city and is likely to surrender before the court on Monday to avoid spending a full night behind the bars. As the local courts are closed on Sunday, Mohammad is likely to surrender before the court on Monday and apply for bail
