The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Protest against gambling hits traffic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Protest against gambling hits traffic

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, DEC. 30. Complaining that some people were running gambling rackets in some parts of the city and cheating the public, hundreds of people blocked the road in front of Victoria Hospital on Thursday. They alleged that the police were not taking action though they were aware of the rackets.

Following the snap blockade, traffic came to a halt in the crowded City Market, Kalasipalya and surrounding areas for nearly an hour. The police erected barricades near the Venkataramanaswamy Temple and stopped the movement of vehicles towards Victoria Hospital from K.R. Road to avoid further congestion.

At 11.45 a.m., people blocked the road after some persons conducting a game of luck on the pavements near Victoria Hospital allegedly snatched Rs. 10,000 from Narayanaswamy, a driver from Kolar district.

The protesters told The Hindu that the policemen present refused to take action against those who had snatched the money, and asked Narayanaswamy to go to the Kalasipalya police station and lodge a complaint.

Several people who mobbed this correspondent in front of Victoria Hospital said although many gangs were openly conducting such games and cheating people in the crowded City Market area, the police were not taking action against them. They said many policemen were present in the area. The people said relatives of patients admitted to Victoria Hospital, and farmers who came to sell their produce in the City Market were the main victims of the organised gambling racket.

"Even the unwilling are coerced to place bets. Finally, they return home with empty pockets as they are cheated in the name of gambling," said Suresh, an autorickshaw driver. Arumugam, a labourer, said that 15 days ago he was beaten up by those running the gambling as he had advised a few people not to play the game of luck.

`Gambling centres'

People said such games were being conducted near Mayo Hall, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike office, the Kalasipalya and City Market bus stands and in the Majestic area too. They narrated several instances of people being coerced into gambling and cheated at these places.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), K.V. Sharathchandra, and other senior police officials rushed to the spot, pacified the agitators and dispersed them after assuring them of action. Several policemen and the "Vajra" force were deployed in the area. Mr. Sharatchandra told The Hindu that action would be taken against the beat constables who were present at the spot when the incident occurred. He said the Kalasipalya police had registered a case of robbery on a complaint by Narayanaswamy.

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