Four Bajrang Dal members were arrested and booked for attempt to murder for beating and stabbing a 23-year-old man who was accompanying his former classmate to Bengaluru from Mangaluru on Thursday night.
The four were also booked for assaulting the woman with intent to outrage her modesty and rioting among others. The man was travelling in an overnight bus with a woman from another community. Based on the woman’s complaint, an FIR was earlier registered against unidentified assailants at the Kankanady town police station.
In Thursday night’s incident, a group of 5-6 vigilantes waylaid the bus at 9.30pm. “They stopped the bus, saying they knew a girl travelling in it and wanted to talk to her,” police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said.
“The woman got off the bus and soon, the group asked the man to alight. He was attacked by at least four men and suffered a 4cm cut near his waist. He was rushed to hospital.”
The woman is learned to have told police she and the youth were classmates and were travelling to Bengaluru to explore job options in digital marketing. She told cops she had sought his help as he knew Bengaluru well. Police suspect the duo was being watched by the vigilantes for the past few days.
“Several people have been detained and the accused identified. We are in the process of identifying those who encouraged the group to commit the crime by sharing information. We are also looking for those who shot the assault videos,” Kumar said.
Bajrang Dal regional convener Sunil KR said: “A case under IPC Section 307 has been booked against our members. It was not our member who stabbed him. Someone from the crowd assaulted him. Police should book a case against the gang that is operating to target Hindu women.”
