Bengaluru police shot a man in the leg on Thursday after he attempted to flee police custody. The man had been detained on Wednesday after he and another man were caught on camera assaulting police officers in Bhoopasandra in Sanjaynagar police station limits.
On Wednesday, two men were arrested for attacking police officers as they were searching for shops to buy essential items during the lockdown. The next day, police took the two men back to the area where the assault had occurred, but officials claimed that one of the accused tried to run away and assaulted police officers with stones and bricks.
"To prevent further attack and to secure him, the Sanjaynagar inspector has fired two rounds in the air and one on the left leg," police said in a statement.
The two men were shifted to Baptist hospital and are currently recovering.
What happened on Wednesday
Residents in the area told TNM that the initial clash took place on Wednesday when the two men were out to shop for groceries. The residents said that provision and grocery stores in the area were shut and there was limited access to essentials, which made the residents desperate.
A video, which has since been widely shared on social media, shows people surrounding the police and attacking them. According to police officials in Sanjaynagar police station, the duo were stopped by the police since they were speeding at the Bhoopasandra checkpost.
At one point in the video, one of the policemen is pushed onto the ground, while three others stand over him.
The two men were detained in connection with this. Bengaluru North Deputy Commissioner of Police Shashikumar declined to release the accused’s names. In the Wednesday incident, tne policeman suffered minor scratch injuries, while another officer’s shoulder pad was torn off, according to police.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night directed a 21-day lockdown across the country and urged citizens to stay inside to curb the spread of coronavirus.
However, the announcement resulted in a scramble for essential services in many parts of Bengaluru. Police had shut down grocery stores in some parts of the city citing the lockdown. The decision however was cleared up on Wednesday evening when Praveen Sood, the Karnataka Deputy General of Police (DGP) announced that all grocery stores in the state can remain open around the clock.