In an incident that has shocked Bengaluru, Shantinagar Congress MLA NA Haris’ son Nalapad has been accused of assaulting and threatening a man. Mohammed Nalapad, also the General Secretary of the Youth Congress wing, allegedly called in a gang of 15 members and brutally assaulted a man at a cafe in Bengaluru's UB City mall.
According to the FIR registered by the complainant Praveen Venkatachalaiah, he and his friend Vidvat (24) had gone to Farzi Cafe on Saturday night for dinner, when the incident occurred.
“My friend Vidvat had broken his leg four weeks ago and I had decided to take him out for dinner. We went to Farzi Cafe at UB City mall. At around 10 pm, Mohammed Haris Nalapad walked into the cafe. Vidvat had stretched his leg out because he couldn’t move it and Nalapad had a problem with it,” Praveen told TNM.
Bangluru Shanthi nagar MLA's son mohammad Nalapad transh a youth in a upscale restaurant for not moving is plastered leg. Absolute act of VVIP madness. pic.twitter.com/6zoaWNMyjm
— MUGILAN CHANDRAKUMAR (@Mugilan__C) February 18, 2018
Nalapad allegedly got angry about Vidvat stretching his leg out and confronted him. “Vidvat told Nalapad that his leg was injured but Nalapad got angry and told Vidvat to apologise for stretching out his leg. When Vidvat refused to do so, he got angry and then both of them had a verbal argument,” Praveen claims.
Praveen alleges that the fight did not end there and that Naldpad got along 15-20 of his henchmen to rough up Vidvat.
“They just came in and said that he was an MLA’s son and all of them began beating Vidvat brutally. I tried to get the help of the management of Farzi Cafe but they too did not help. They punched his face, hit him on the chest and also on his head. They also broke his nose. They attacked him with bottles until Vidvat fell to the floor unconscious,” Praveen alleges.
Praveen rushed Vidvat to the nearby Mallya Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment in the ICU. He alleges that Nalapad and his henchmen arrived at the hospital on Saturday night to threaten Vidvat against filing a police complaint.
According to the Cubbon Park Police, no arrest has been made as of yet. “We will conduct a preliminary probe before arresting the accused. As of now, an FIR has been registered against Nalapad Haris and two others,” the police official added.
The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), 143 and 144 (unlawful assembly), 146 and 147 (rioting), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peach) at the Cubbon Park Police Station.
In April 2016, one of MLA Haris’ son was allegedly involved in an altercation with a security guard at Bowring Institute in Bengaluru. According to the Cubbon Park Police, the security guard was allegedly beaten up by a man claiming to be NA Haris’ son after a verbal argument regarding use of parking space.
Reacting to the turn of events, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that "offenders should be punished no matter who they are".
Offenders should be punished to the full extent of law regardless of who they are. No less, no more.@CPBlr will take action as per law and bring the guilty to book. https://t.co/H0Km8zauVz
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 18, 2018
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee's working President Dinesh Gundu Rao also condemned the incident stating that Mohammed Haris Nalapad may be expelled from the Congress party.
"Ghastly incident..nobody is above law..police have to take strict action and arrest all concerned, who so ever they may be. Also Mohammed Haris Nalapad will be expelled from the Congress party for his involvement in this terrible act," Gundu Rao said in a tweet.
Ghastly incident..nobody is above law..police have to take strict action and arrest all concerned, who so ever they may be. Also Mohammed Haris Nalapad will be expelled from the Congress party for his involvement in this terrible act.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) February 18, 2018
Condemn in the strongest words. https://t.co/nu3sqaUyvq