MANGALURU: Unidentified persons allegedly waylaid the car of Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja and threatened him by flashing weapon, police officials said.
According to the police, Harish Poonja had returned from Bengaluru on October 13. After picking him up at the airport, his driver Naven took him to the Circuit House where the MLA attended a meeting.
Around 10.45 pm, the MLA left the Circuit House for Belthangady. While the MLA boarded his relatives’ car, his driver followed him in the official car. When the cars had reached Naguri Railway Over Bridge, the driver noted that a Scorpio Car had started following the MLA's car. The driver immediately called up the MLA and informed him. Poonja asked the driver to follow the car.
Around 11.45 pm, the person on the Scorpio Car waylaid the car of MLA Poonja at Farangipet and used foul language and scolded those in the car. He also allegedly flashed a weapon and threatened the MLA and those in the car. The Scorpio vehicle later left the spot when Naveen stopped the car near the Farangipete police outpost.
Based on a complaint from the MLA’s driver Naveen, the Bantwal Rural police have registered an FIR under IPC Section 341 (Wrongful restraint), 504 (International insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
State transport and ST Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu has condemned the incident. “Shocked to know that some miscreants tried to attack by stopping the car of MLA Harish Poonja and trying to threaten him. We know that such anti-social elements should be controlled. Patience has its limit. Action has to be replied with reaction,” Sriramulu tweeted.
