BENGALURU: Tight police security turned JC Nagar and surrounding areas into a fortress on Friday, with the Wednesday murder of a 28-year-old auto driver being given a communal and political colour.
The victim, Santosh, was allegedly murdered by his long-time friends, Wasim, Phillip, Umar and Irfan, over an issue related to ganja, at Chinnappa Garden in JC Nagar police limits. In no time, the BJP leaders took to social media websites, claiming that Santosh was a BJP member and that the murder had political and communal undertones.
The preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the murder was over personal enmity and no political or communal angle was involved. The police have also arrested all the four accused.
“The accused and the deceased were long-time friends and used to drink together. They had fought many times over petty issues. On Wednesday too, all of them were drunk and fought. Santosh’s murder was over a personal issue and it is now unnecessarily being blown out of proportion and being given political and communal colour,” a senior police officer said.
Another police officer pointed out that Santosh’s mother had recently warned him not to mingle with the accused, saying they were drunkards.
In Honnavar, where young Paresh Mesta was murdered, the BJP had claimed that he was a party worker. But Mesta’s parents denied that he was associated with any political party.
Meanwhile, the residents of JC Nagar blamed ineffective policing for the murder and said their areas had turned into a haven for alcoholics and ganja addicts. “Of late, alcoholics creating nuisance late in the night and groups of drunk men sitting around and smoking has increased. Ineffective policing has made our lives miserable,” a resident said.
