The Hoysala vehicle that was vandalised; (bottom) police personnel who sustained injuries. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A group of six African nationals allegedly assaulted sleuths from the Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru city police, who were in the process of arresting one of them for drug peddling, and the local police personnel who came to rescue them after they came under attack in Mavallipura, near Rajanakunte on the outskirts of the city on Thursday night.
A total of four police personnel sustained minor injuries and are being treated at a private hospital in the city. The injured have been identified as police inspector Subramanya Swamy, head constables Shashidhar R. and Rajeev S.B., and driver Siddojirao.
The six African nationals, who assaulted the police teams, are still at large. The Rajanakunte police have registered a case and have launched a manhunt for those involved in the attack.
Sleuths from the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the CCB, Bengaluru, had recently arrested an African national from Bagalagunte on April 6 and recovered 4 kg of MDMA crystals from his house worth ₹4 crore. The accused was allegedly buying MDMA crystals from his contacts in his home country, getting it delivered here concealed in couriers, and selling it for ₹8,000 - ₹10,000 per gram to his contacts in the city. Probing the case, a team of four CCB officials led by Subramanya Swamy, the Investigation Officer in the case, went to Mavallipura to apprehend an associate of the person they arrested on April 6.
In his complaint to Rajanakunte police, Mr. Swamy said they had followed a lead and went near a restaurant at Singanayakanahalli where a suspect was having dinner. “We followed the suspect, who went to a house in Mavallipura. Once he went in, we tried to apprehend the suspect and search the house. There were two people inside, including the suspect. They pushed and assaulted us and resisted our efforts even after we showed our ID cards. One of them called his associates and soon, a group of four people joined and started attacking us with stones, sticks, and a dagger shouting that they would kill us,” he said.
The police soon retreated and came to the main road. Meanwhile, they had called for backup and a Hoysala vehicle arrived. “The group attacked the Hoysala vehicle as well with stones and vandalised it. The Hoysala personnel rescued us from the group and took us to a private hospital,” Mr. Swamy says in his complaint.
“As the police teams withdrew from the scene, the gang of African nationals fled the village. We have launched a manhunt for them. The house is owned by a Bihar native, who gave it on rent to two African nationals without document verification three months ago,” said Mallikarjun Baladandi, SP, Bengaluru Rural district.
