Auto drivers' clash turns violent, five injured

More than five people were injured after an auto driver and his supporters attacked the house of another auto driver in a dispute over carrying passengers, at Sangondahalli in the taluk late on Sunday night.

Nagaraj of Sangondahalli and Suban of Seepura villages, both auto drivers, had quarrelled over carrying passengers at the KSRTC bus stand in Kolar on Sunday noon. Both were pacified with the intervention of their fellow workmen.

However, Suban and his associates attacked the family of Nagaraj at his house in Sangondahalli late on Sunday night. They assaulted the women in the house and threw stones on the house.

Eramma, Akkamma, Lakshmamma and Narayanappa were injured in the incident, police said. The gang also damaged a four-wheeler, three bikes and household articles. The injured have been admitted at SNR Hospital. Furthermore, the gang also damaged streetlights, shops and temples also. Even as the villagers woke from sleep to ascertain the turn of events, the miscreants took to heels. Worried villagers lodged a complaint with the Kolar rural police.

Meanwhile, the villagers also staged a protest from Sunday midnight till 10 am on Sunday demanding police give protection to the village. They blocked the Chikkaballapur main road.
The Rural police have arrested Kannaveer and Suhalil in connection with the incident. Tahsildar Vijayanna and Additional Superintendent of Police P A Korwara rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters.

S Nagaraj, a resident of Sangodahalli village, said that the villagers had to live in fear as such incidents had become frequent. He said that cars, two-wheelers and household articles had been damaged in the incident and sought the district administration to compensate for the loss.

The villagers said that a police outpost should be set up in the village and miscreants should be arrested at the earliest. They withdrew their protest after tahsildar Vijayanna promised to meet their demands in 24 hours. Additional Superintendent of Police P A Korawara, Deputy Superintendent of Police Abdul Sattar visited the village and took of the situation. The ASP said that more police forces would be deployed in the village to prevent any untoward incident. A special team has been formed to arrest the other culprits involved in the incident.
DH News Service