Karnataka's night of chaos: Mob plunders 25 shops, sets stolen vehicles on fire

MANDYA : A night of chaos unfolded in Nagamangala on Wednesday as looters struck, ransacking over 25 shops and setting properties, including stolen motorcycles, ablaze in a dramatic display of violence.

A day after clashes erupted between two groups, disturbing CCTV footage has surfaced, revealing the extent of the vandalism that occurred. The footage shows a group of men entering a bike showroom, where it vandalised the vehicles before setting them on fire. CCTV footage further showed the extent of the looting, as miscreants not only looted but also vandalized surveillance cameras before plundering shops.

The violence began in Nagamangala and quickly escalated, resulting in widespread destruction. The spree of looting left a trail of destruction, with a textile shop and a scrap materials shop reduced to ashes.

Surveillance footage captured the brazen acts of the looters, showing them seizing motorcycles from a showroom on Mysuru Road and setting them on fire at multiple locations around town. The owner of the textile shop reported substantial losses due to the blaze, while the scrap materials shop owner condemned the act as the work of miscreants, not linked to any one community.

Raghavendra, Mandya’s district fire officer, said the first fire alert was received at 9.15pm on Wednesday. Fire trucks from Nagamangala and KR Pet taluk rushed to the scene, with additional units from Mandya and Channarayapatna in Hassan joining the effort.

Eight fire engines and about 50 firefighters battled the flames into the early hours, with operations continuing until 7am Thursday. Approximately 10 FIRs have been filed by Nagamangala police, including charges of arson and motorcycle theft based on complaints and video evidence.

In response to the violence, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have announced a bandh in Nagamangala on Friday. The bandh was announced by Mahesh, the taluk secretary of Bajrang Dal.

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