The Hindu : Karnataka News : Police open fire to quell violent mob in Kolar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Police open fire to quell violent mob in Kolar

By Our Correspondent

KOLAR, APRIL 20. The police opened fire in the air to quell a mob of violent youth at a polling booth on the zilla panchayat office premises here on Tuesday.

Trouble began soon after polling began when most of the people who had turned up to cast their votes found their names missing from the voters' list.

Those whose names were missing questioned the polling officials who expressed their helplessness in the matter.

As more people came to cast their votes and found their names missing from the list, tension gripped the area.

At about noon, some youth forcibly entered polling booths 135 and 136 and took away electronic voting machines from there.

They reportedly ransacked the polling booths and crushed the voting machines with boulders.

The angry youth also tried to attack the polling officials and reportedly threw stones at the police personnel.

In the melee, at least four polling officials and a Home Guard suffered injuries. The youth also threw stones at the presspersons and snatched a camera from a journalist of a vernacular daily.

The police resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas shells. As these measures proved futile, the Gulpet Sub Inspector, who was at the spot, ordered firing in the air. Even as a policeman opened fire in the air, the youth fled.

The District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner, B.S. Ramaprasad, who arrived at the spot, ordered re-polling in the booths. The Superintendent of Police, K. Srinivasa, also visited the spot.

In another polling station at Shahinshanagar, a violent mob reportedly damaged the voting machine forcing the authorities concerned to order another round of polling.

In the Srinivaspur Assembly constituency, polling was stopped in Arikunte village for a brief period as followers of Ramesh Kumar (Congress) and G.K. Venkatashiva Reddy (BJP) clashed over the missing of their names from the voters list. Similar clashes were reported from many places in the constituency. It was said that at least 10 persons suffered minor injuries in election-related clashes.

Over 300 voters in Vaddapalya in Bagepalli taluk staged a dharna in front of the Taluk Office alleging that their votes had been cast by the people of Poolavarappali. There was tension in the area and additional police forces were deployed to prevent trouble.

In the Bethamangala (Reserved) Assembly Constituency, at least three persons suffered injuries in a clash between the followers of the Congress candidate and those of the rebel Congress candidate in Alambadijyothi village.

In another incident, Gangoji of the Congress was reportedly assaulted by the supporters of the rebel Congress candidate in Kempapura village. He has been admitted to the Civil Hospital in Kolar Gold Fields. It was said that some miscreants threw stones at police personnel in Donimadagu village causing minor injuries to the policemen.

In Bommenahalli in the Chikkaballapur Assembly Constituency, polling could not be held because of a snag in the voting machines. Voters who had gathered in large numbers returned without exercising their franchise. Re-polling may be ordered in this booth on Wednesday. Reports of attempt to rig the polls, booth capturing and minor scuffles between rival groups have been received from all parts of the district.

Preliminary reports said 70 per cent of voters in the district exercised their franchise and that the polling percentage was high in rural areas.

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