Corporator's spouse to seek advance bail

DCP (East) Chandra Shekar told Deccan Herald that the arrest could not be made “unless proper evidence was collected and statements of the witnesses were obtained.”

When asked if the delay would help Reddy obtain an anticipatory bail on Monday morning, the officer said: “We’ll certainly oppose Reddy seeking the bail.”

Reddy was booked by Ulsoor police under six different Sections of the IPC - 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 448 (house trespass), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Nirmal Prasad, BTC Secretary who lodged the complaint, had alleged that Reddy and his
“henchmen” forcibly detained the staff and also intimidated them.

Reddy and his Corporator-wife Geetha have strongly denied the charges levelled against them. According to Reddy, the BTC outlet had become a “hotbed of illegal activities” and was creating nuisance for the ward residents.

The place, Geetha said, was cramped with punters betting on horse racing. The outlet can accommodate only about 60 people. But during weekend, at least 350 customers would be crammed inside. Besides, there is no parking space. Added to it, was the presence of a bar.

“The place was like hell. It was posing a security risk to women and children. If the BTC wants to conduct online betting, let it do so at the race course itself. Why do it other places?” the Corporator asked.

Srinivas Reddy, on his part, denied that he had detained 16 BTC staffers and threatened them. He said after driving the customers out, “Shutters were downed to protect money deposited in the 12 counters as the punters were inebriated. They could have ransacked the counters.”  

Claiming the raid on the BTC outlet as not an one-off incident, he said BBMP Senior Health Officer and he were checking the trade licences of shops. Geetha said she sat in the vehicle during the raid as she did not want to confront “inebriated and unruly” people.