BSF men go on rampage at Lalbagh

Commotion prevailed at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on Sunday evening after around 45 Border Security Force  (BSF) personnel allegedly assaulted the visitors, security guards and police constables at the park.

According to a senior police officer, the BSF soldiers have been staying in the City for the past four months and were out on a sight-seeing trip on Sunday. They arrived at Lalbagh around 4:30 pm and were walking around the place plucking flowers and creating public nuisance.

Some people at the park told police that the inebriated soldiers were misbehaving with girls and passing lewd comments on them. They consumed liquour on the rock cliff in the park. The visitors who questioned their unruly behaviour were assaulted.

Security guards at the park – Samad, Prashant and Suresh – intervened only to be beaten up  by the soldiers. The guards were thrashed with lathis, police said.

Visitors who witnessed the ruckus informed two policemen – Suresh and Anveer – attached to Siddapura police station.  The two rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. However, the BSF men beat them up brutally. They later started thrashing visitors at will.

On being alerted, Siddapura police rushed to the spot with reinforcements and brought the situation under control.

The visitors at the park staged a protest demanding action against the soldiers.
Venkatesh, a visitor, said the soldiers were intoxicated and behaved in a obscene manner. He said they beat up several women and tore off their clothes. “Some visitors locked the gates of Lalbagh to prevent soldiers from escaping. But most of them scaled the compound wall and fled the spot,” he said. Constables and security guards, who were bleeding profusely, were rushed to hospital.

H S Revanna, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said a few people have been arrested and sent for medical check-up.

He said a complaint has been registered and more arrests will be made after the injured security guards and policemen identify the troublemakers.