Kalasipalya market case: Corporator, vendors trade complaints

The Kalasipalya police have registered four FIRs over an incident in Kalasipalya market, where vendors allegedly threw cow dung at Dharmaraya Swamy Temple ward BBMP member Pratibha Dhanaraj's husband and her son.

There were a complaint and counter-complaint by the corporator and vendors. The police have filed an additional two FIRs for not maintaining social distance and wearing masks.

In her complaint, Pratibha said she had complained to BBMP joint commissioner Ravindra and his team and also to the police 15 days ago regarding the illegal business at the market. On Wednesday around 6 pm, she went to inspect the market with her supporters. Five representatives of this illegal business, who also collect commissions from vegetable vendors, threw stones at them and assaulted them, the complaint said.

She sought to close the overcrowded market following the covid scare and also action against the five accused.

At the same time, Mehboob, one of the accused in the corporators complaint, also filed a complaint against Dhanaraj, the corporator's husband, her son and 15 others.

He said Dhanaraj on Wednesday morning threatened the vegetable vendors not to sell any vegetables and asked them to vacate the place.

Mehboob told Dhanaraj that he is not a BBMP official to tell them to vacate the place and that his wife is a corporator and not him. Then Dhanaraj and his associates assaulted them, Mehboob alleged and sought action against Dhanaraj and his associates.

Meanwhile, the Kalasipalya police have registered two FIRs against both groups for not wearing masks and maintaining social distance and also breaking lockdown norms by assembling in large numbers and fighting with each other.

The police said they have taken complaints from both the parties and, also booked them under the Disaster Management Act for violating the lockdown rules, and issued notices to appear for investigation.