Raitha Sangha prez booked over protest to reopen City Market

The City Market police have filed a suo motu complaint against the president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and 11 others for protesting at the market premises in violation of the COVID-19 guidelines.

Ramesh V R, a head constable attached to the City Market police station, said he was patrolling at the market on June 6. Around 11.30 am, based on a tip-off, he went to the vegetable mandi and found KRRS president Kodihalli Chandrashekar and his associates staging a protest.

Soon, around 60 to 70 vendors joined them, demanding that the shops be reopened and vendors be allowed to do business. Ramesh said the protestors shouted slogans against the government and did not have permission to stage the protest.

The market comes under a containment zone and the protesters violated the social-distancing rules and did not follow any safety protocols, he said.

The City Market police have booked them for unlawful assembly and also under IPC Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life).