Five men arrested for digging roads

Five people were arrested on Thursday for digging up roads without permission, and threatening a BBMP official when he questioned them about it.

The men were digging the road near the BMTC bus depot service road in Premnagar and laying data cables on Wednesday morning when NG Umesh, a BBMP official, asked them if they had the authorisation to do so.

The group threatened him and asked him to mind his own business, the police said. He then filed a complaint with the Kamakshipalya police station.

On Thursday morning, the police arrived at the spot where the cables were being laid and found the five men still there guarding the machinery.

The police arrested Mani, Ramesh, Premkumar, Kiran and Dwarka Yadav, who were operating the machinery. They were working for Prabhakar, a Hyderabad-based contractor, Girdhar, a supervisor.

The police booked the group for damage to public property, mischief causing damage, criminal intimidation, and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from his duty under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The five were produced before a magistrate and granted bail on Friday, the police said.