Bengaluru: Goons assault bakery workers, three in net

BENGALURU:  A gang of goons thrashed two bakery workers over a trivial issue, near Kundalahalli Gate in HAL Police Station limits, around Thursday midnight. Acting swiftly, police arrested three men within a few hours.

The accused are Karthik (20), a delivery boy and resident of Ashwath Nagar in HAL, Karthik (23), a resident of Marathahalli working as a hotel manager in Kengeri, and Salman (20) of Ashwath Nagar, who works in an aluminium unit.

Police said the incident took place at Sri Brahmalingeshwara Bakery, around 12.10 am Friday when the accused went there to buy cigarettes. The miscreants picked a fight with the two workers and rained blows at them. One of the accused attacked them with a helmet, while others vandalised the shop. 

CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media on Friday. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said he has instructed police to conduct a probe into the case. “I have directed senior officers to ensure that elements troubling shopkeepers and creating law and order problems should not be spared, and to ensure that such incidents don’t repeat,” he said.

The matter was reported to HAL police on Friday afternoon, and police and arrested the accused in the evening. “During the preliminary enquiry, they said one of the workers spoke rudely to them, so they assaulted them,” DCP, Whitefield, S Girish told TNIE.

Police said there was a delay by the victims in reporting the matter to police. “They approached police 12 hours after the incident. However, the accused were traced in a few hours after the attack was brought to our notice,” an officer said.

Meanwhile, members of a trade body staged a protest in front of HAL Police Station, seeking protection for shopkeepers. Senior officers assured them of strict action.