Three days after an angry mob torched 42 vehicles belonging to Tamil Nadu-based private travel firm, KPN, at D'souza Nagar, a police probe has revealed that an unidentified woman was controlling and instigating the mob.
AFP
The woman is now the main suspect in the case after police arrested seven youths, reported to be part of the violent mob confessed to the woman's role in the arson attack.
The accused, in their statement to the police, claimed they saw a woman and three other youths raising anti-Tamil Nadu slogans and targeting the vehicles on Monday. They also claim she had asked them to join her in setting the vehicles on fire. In all, 40 luxury buses and two mini-buses were set ablaze.
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TOI
Police arrested the accused based on photographs taken by the travel agency's employees on their mobile phones.?
"We have not ruled out the possibility that this woman could have some connection with other rival private travel agencies. We are probing all angles. The accused claim they do not know the identity of the woman, but we are proceeding with the notion that she will be the main accused in the case," said an officer who is part of the investigation.
The arrested men were identified as Kempe Gowda, 28; Satish B, 27; Prakash Bettaiah, 46; Chandan R, 19; Rakshith, 19 ?and Kiran Gowda, 27, and Lokesh Murthy, 25.
The incident occurred in the evening when all 22 drivers and two cleaners were resting in the buses that were parked at the agency's garage. However, all 24 miraculously escaped harm, considering the mob poured diesel on some of the drivers and tried to push them into the burning vehicles.
AP
Of the 40 vehicles parked in the garage, 13 were brought in for repair, while the other 26 were scheduled to operate services that night to various destinations.
The accused have been booked for attempt to murder (IPC 307), unlawful assembly (IPC 143), rioting (IPC 147), rioting with deadly weapon (IPC 148), voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means (IPC 324), causing damage (IPC 427), damage by fire or explosive substance (IPC 435) and Column 2 of Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act of 1981.
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BCCL
KP Natarajan, owner of KPN travels said it was a 300-strong mob that attacked his firm. He also added that police should take strong action against them and that he was planning to petition the Karnataka government, demanding justice.
Natarajan said his entire Karnataka fleet of omni buses was gutted in the incident and added that all of them were actually registered in Karnataka.