Two cops attacked with knives before Dasara procession

Two policemen were allegedly attacked with knives in separate incidents just before the Dasara procession in northern Bengaluru’s JC Nagar on Wednesday night.

Ganga Honnaiah, an assistant sub-inspector from the JC Nagar police station, was attacked by two men when he confronted them for creating trouble in the communally sensitive neighbourhood around 8.30 pm. The suspects emerged from the crowd, attacked the policeman and disappeared before he could catch them. Police said they had identified the men as Gajendra (45) and Naresh (19), and were pursuing them.

In the other incident, head constable Keshava Murthy was attacked by two men who were causing a ruckus at Shivanna Circle. Murthy was riding on a patrol bike along with another head constable named Manjunath. Murthy tried to nab the men, but they flashed a knife and attacked him. They fled the spot soon after. Police identified the men as Harry (21) and Aruna (18), and are making efforts to track them down.

The incident prompted the police to deploy additional men in sensitive areas to ensure smooth Dasara celebrations.

There was also tension for some time when police tried to stop the Dasara procession during Azaan (prayer call) outside the Jamia Masjid on JC Nagar Main Road. The organisers accused the police of trying to “create misunderstandings and disrupt the celebrations”. The situation was brought under control following intervention from senior police officers.

A senior police officer justified the tight security, citing an intelligence report about possible disruptions during the festivities.