Bengaluru: Traffic on the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway came to a grinding halt on Monday after Janata Dal (Secular) workers, led by Mandya Lok Sabha member L.R. Shivaramegowda, staged a rasta roko protesting against the brutal murder of a party activist in Maddur.
Thousands of vehicles piled up on both sides of the road for over two hours as protesters blocked the highway demanding Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to visit the spot.
Thousands of people heading towards various tourist destinations were caught in the traffic jam. The situation returned to normal after the local police convinced the agitators to call off their strike.
On Monday, Mr Prakash (50), the husband of former ZP president Lalitha and an eyewitness in a double murder case at Toppanahalli village, was hacked to death by four to five motorbike riders, who came to the spot wearing helmets, at T.B. Circle on Bengalure-Mysuru Highway.
On Monday morning, Mr Prakash, who had a tender coconut business, was on his way to the Maddur tender coconut market along with his two friends. They had stopped the car near a showroom to fix the car sticker. His friends, Muganna and Vinay, had got down from the car, while Prakash was sitting in the backseat. Four to five men came to the spot on two-wheelers, sat next to Prakash and stabbed him indiscriminately. By the time his friends came to his rescue, the miscreants fled from the spot. Prakash was rushed to a hospital in Maddur where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Superintendent of Police D. Shivaprakash visited the spot and made security arrangements at Toppanahalli village and Maddur town as a precautionary measure.
As the news spread, hundreds of JD(S) workers stormed the highway and blocked the traffic. Some of them vandalised the hospital premises by breaking the glass panes. It is learnt that Prakash had refused protection despite the local police warning him.
Condemning the incident, Mr Kumaraswamy directed the Mandya police to take strong action against the culprits. He will visit the victim's family on Tuesday.
