Bengaluru cops book 18 including minors for carrying swords during Eid function

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 12, 2022: The Bengaluru Police have booked 18 people, including five minors, for brandishing swords during an Eid Milan function. The incident took place under Siddapura Police Station limits in Bengaluru South on October 9, 2022. The police filed a complaint based on videos being circulated on social media. Even as the police say they have acted based on evidence, several social media users have questioned why the police have not acted on other such cases of Hindu organisations brandishing weapons during processions.

 

“On October 9 at around 5:45 pm, in Siddapura Police Station limits, there was a function in which a few weapons like swords and machetes were used. There were a total of around 24 people there, of which we have apprehended 18,” P Krishnakant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru South) told the media. “We are still looking for five people. We believe it was mostly because of ignorance. It started off as a procession and later a few people gathered and danced with swords,” he added. Those arrested have been booked under the Arms Act. The police said that the five minors will be tried as  juveniles.

Many on social media have raised questions of hypocrisy in the police acting in this case while choosing to remain silent in other cases where Hindu organisations including Bajrang Dal have used weapons in processions. The most recent case of this was seen in Udupi on October 2, 2022 during the Durga Daud procession. The Hindu Jagarana Vedike had organised a huge rally with over 10,000 people chanting slogans, asking for Hindu Rashtra and some people leading the procession were seen brandishing swords. The rally was even attended by a BJP MLA.

When asked about the selective bias, the DCP defended the police action in Bengaluru and said that action is taken whenever they receive information. “We had gotten information about a similar incident in Puttenahalli in Bengaluru during a Ganesha procession. We booked them also under similar sections of the Arms act. It is not limited to a particular case,” the police said.

Courtesy: The News Minute