Three minors have been taken into custody by Karnataka Police on Monday in connection with an incident of stone-pelting targeting Om Shakti devotees reported from the JJ Nagar police station limits in Bengaluru.
The detentions were made based on suspicion and statements given by Om Shakti devotees. Home Minister G Parameshwara stated in Bengaluru on Monday that four to five minors were involved in the stone-pelting incident.
"We will proceed as per law. The detained accused are aged between 15 and 17 years, and we will probe how they were provoked. Once the facts are ascertained, we will take appropriate action," added Parameshwara.
The Jagjeevan Ram Nagar neighbourhood was on edge Sunday night after a religious procession from the local Om Shakti temple was allegedly targeted by stone-pelters. According to police, the incident occurred as devotees were pulling the temple chariot through the streets. Witnesses and local sources reported that the situation turned chaotic when stones began raining down on the crowd, reportedly originating from a different community. The aftermath was upsetting, considering reports of serious injuries to a young girl and a small child in the head during the melee.
The attack quickly triggered a backlash among the devotees, who marched to the Jagjeevan Ram Nagar police station to protest. Demonstrators were visibly frustrated, saying that this was not a one-off incident but provocation had taken place on many such occasions in the past. They refused to leave until the authorities committed to a formal investigation, insisting that an FIR should be filed immediately to take action against perpetrators.
By Monday, police were in full presence to ensure things did not escalate further. West Division DCP Yatish NB visited the station to oversee the security arrangements and scrutinise the preliminary findings. An FIR has now been registered, and an investigation begun, but the police have called for restraint, saying they are trying to identify those involved through eyewitness accounts and surveillance in the area. For now, the officials claim the situation is under control, but the atmosphere in the locality remains tense.
Also read: After wife’s suicide, Bengaluru man ends life in Nagpur
Follow us
