Srinivas Reddy, husband of first-time Domlur corporator (ward no 112) Geeta, has been booked for forcibly detaining Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) staff and refusing to release them till the BTC top brass come forward for talks.
Sources said around 2 pm, the BTC outlet behind Domlur water tank was buzzing with activity with about 200 punters egging on their favourite horses.
Ransacks premises
Accompanied by 20 of his henchmen, Reddy barged into the outlet, drove the customers out of the place, locked the 16 BTC staff and ransacked the premises for more than half-an-hour.
When police, tipped off, turned up, Reddy and his followers claimed that they were just doing ‘moral policing’, charging the BTC outlet with encouraging gambling and fouling the moral environment in the area.
Harassment plaint
However, none were ready to buy Reddy’s version. Emboldened by the presence of police, local residents came out with stories of harassment by the Corporator’s husband.
A pushcart vendor was brave enough to complain to police as to how he and his friends were forced to shell out ‘hafta’ to Reddy for being allowed to ply his trade in the area.
By late night, the locality police registered an FIR and have taken up the investigation.
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