Army men accused of road rage

Modi Garden residents say armymen in mufti using violence to control approach road after unfavourable HC order

Modi Garden residents say army men in mufti using violence to control approach road after unfavourable HC order

After the high court passed an order that threw open to the public a road controlled by the army for years, there are allegations by residents that military men dressed in civilian clothes are now terrorising them.

S Shashidhar, secretary of Modi Garden Residents' Welfare Association, said his son was attacked by armymen in mufti on the road in question, and that a complaint was registered with the JC Nagar and DJ Halli police station soon after the incident.

ROADBLOCK: Modi Garden residents protest before the Parachute Regiment Training Centre;File pics

Army tactic
The residents' body says the incident of violence is a fresh army tactic aimed at showing the road is unsafe if it does not remain in the hands of its Parachute Regiment Training Centre (PRTC).

Shashidhar added that the police had now promised the road would be under their eye at all hours.
"When my son Sanketh went out with his friends Manjunath and Rahul around 8 pm, army officers in civilian dress tried to attack the boys. Luckily, they escaped," said Shashidhar. "After the complaint was filed with the
DJ Halli and JC Nagar police, they promised to deploy policemen in mufti there. The police will also undertake night patrolling to protect the general public."

Residents said that in spite of the high court order, the PRTC was trying to get back the road under one pretext or the other. Residents said the army, angry because the court order had gone in favour of petitioner A P Suresh, wanted to show the road was unsafe to build its case for an appeal in the courts.

ROADBLOCK:The blocked Anjaneya Temple road File pics

Years of battle
The approach road connecting JC Nagar, Anjaneya Temple, Modi Garden, Lancer Masjid and Kawalbyrasandra was closed on March 10, 2003, ostensibly for repairs. People approached the high court, and on March 23, 2003, an interim order was passed to keep the road open.

Residents said the north-end road (Modi Garden to Lancer Masjid and Kawalbyrasandra) was also closed by the army on January 23, 2010, citing security for Republic Day celebrations.

"It has become very difficult for us residents of Modi Garden to step out of our own homes. The army doesn't allow us to enter our layout," said Shashidhar. "There are no lights in the area and ladies can't step out. The army is supposed to protect the public but here it has become reverse."

The road in question used to be a city bus route over a decade ago, said residents. They said the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation was stopped plying buses on it in 1994 because of army restrictions.
In 2003 the army prevented even private vehicles from on this road.

The Other Side

Defence PRO Shruti Patil said, "I am not aware of this incident (of beating up of residents) and I will have to check with the Sub-Area."