As many as 25 police personnel whose motorcycles were burnt by a mob at D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli in August received brand new two-wheelers on Thursday after a corporate sponsor stepped in to help.
The police personnel who were part of the patrolling team had rushed to the spot from in and around the station on the night of August 10 as thousands of people gathered to protest a derogatory social media post on Islam by Naveen Kumar, the nephew of Pulakeshinagar MLA R. Akhanda Sreenivasa Murthy.
They had parked their bikes near the two stations to join their colleagues to maintain law and order. The mob attacked D.J. Halli police station and set fire to vehicles outside K.G. Halli station. Around 146 vehicles were gutted, including the 25 motorcycles belonging to the patrolling police party.
The Police Department could not claim the insurance owing to technical reasons.
“As a result, the 25 police personnel had to make do without their bikes, which in turn affected their professional and personal lives,” said S.D. Sharanappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East).
The matter was brought to the notice of the higher-ups and TVS Motor Company stepped in to provide new motorcycles as part of their corporate social responsibility initiative.
On Thursday, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai along with senior officials, including DG&IGP Praveen Sood and Police Commissioner Kamal Pant handed over the bikes to the police personnel at a programme, under the banner, ‘We are with you’.