Police have registered an FIR against a former BJP corporator and 10 others for assaulting Congress workers and snatching their mobile phones during an election campaign in northern Bengaluru's Yeshwantpur on Saturday evening.
Police booked former Yeshwantpur corporator Venkatesh G K and 10 others under IPC sections related to assault or use of criminal force on women with intent to disrobe, wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly, robbery and voluntarily causing hurt.
Chandrappa Jigale, a Congress worker from Laggere, told the police that Venkatesh and his associates heckled and abused them as they went door to door distributing pamphlets at 7th Cross, Yeshwantpur.
Jigale said the group hit him on the head and the back, and squeezed his neck. Congress workers were also slapped, and Jigale's two mobile phones and a gold chain were snatched, he stated.
Jigale accused the police and election officials of silently watching as the BJP workers beat them up.
Jigale called up Kusuma Hanumantharayappa, the Congress candidate for RR Nagar. Kusuma later led a flash protest by Congress workers outside the Yeshwantpur police station. Police caned the protesters when the crowd swelled.
Police sources said three of the suspects named in the FIR claimed they were "attacked" by Congress workers and had been hospitalised. They will likely file a counter-complaint.
D Devaraja, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), said some suspects had been summoned for questioning. Any further action will be taken only after they are questioned, he added.
Published 07 May 2023, 18:50 IST