Bengaluru: Was the torching of 40 buses of a private travel agency in R.R. Nagar in less than 20 minutes on September 12, an organic protest against the Supreme Court order to Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till September 20? Or was the worst incident of arson and rioting in the recent history of Bengaluru, a planned supari operation, by criminals settling scores with their rivals, to show the government in poor light?
Either way, police, who were caught napping at the unprecedented violence on Monday, want to get to the bottom of the ‘Cauvery conspiracy,’ and may hand over the case to either the Central Crime Bureau (CCB) of the City police or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for an investigation. “Bengaluru witnessed widespread arson and rioting in the name of Cauvery agitation. These could not have been spontaneous acts of anger,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
Who was behind it then? Conspiracy theorists are convinced the vandals acted at the behest of political rivals who want to lay the ground for the charge that there was a complete breakdown of law and order, and that the Congress government had lost control of the state, opening the door to the dismissal of the last Congress bastion in the south, and the possible imposition of President’s Rule. In the run up to the Sept. 20 judgement by the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue, CM Siddaramaiah is better prepared this time, turning the IT capital into a fortress with the deployment of quick response teams and State and central armed police forces in place.
“Any violation of the SC order to maintain law and order will prove costly for the Congress-led government in Karnataka,” said the officer.
Twelve inspectors to be suspended?
Following allegations that the police failed to contain the situation during Monday’s violent protests, it is learnt that the city top cop is contemplating on suspending a dozen of police inspectors and police staff.
It is said that even a few ACPs would have to face the music. More than 10 inspectors from west and north divisions would be suspended by Police Commissioner N.S. Megharikh in a day or two. As the violent protests took place in those divisions, inspectors of stations would be suspended, according to reliable sources.
The Commissioner has reportedly sought report from other senior officers to know why the situation went out of hand. It is said that, he would initiate further action based on the reports. It may be recalled that DCPs of North and West divisions were shunted out following protests.
