Rediff News
Bangalore, April 13: One person was killed in police firing after frenzied fans of Rajkumar resorted to violence here today.
The incident happened near Siddalingaiah circle close to the Kanteerva stadium, where the thespian's body had been kept to enable the people to pay their last respects, police said. Police said they initially resorted to lathi-charge and bursting of teargas shells to quell the frenzied fans but when they failed to control the situation, they resorted to firing.
The fans resorted to stone-pelting and targeting vehicles in and around Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, where his body lay, as tens of thousands of people paid their homage to the legendary actor.
Some policemen were also injured in the violence. A bus belonging to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and another of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation were torched by a section of the crowd, who also damaged several private vehicles. The unruly crowd also attacked the police and fought pitched battles with them. A heavy posse of policemen was pressed into service to control the situation, and they repeatedly resorted to lathi-charge and burst teargas shells in and around the stadium which itself was stoned.
A television channel vehicle was also stoned, police sources said. An 'undeclared bandh' was observed in many parts of the state, where Rajkumar was a revered figure, including district headquarters town of Bellary, Raichur, Mandya and Mysore. Film-related activities came to a halt, and there were no shows at theatres today. Government offices, banks, courts and schools and colleges were closed, while shops and business establishments downed their shutters.
Most private companies, including the software ones, had declared a holiday today in the country's IT hub. Roads in many parts of Bangalore were virtually deserted, as not many ventured out of their homes. Tourists were hit hard, with local transport service badly crippled. A few autorickshaw drivers who ventured to ply after persuasion by police tried to make a fast buck demanding three to four times the normal fare. In Mysore also, a similar scene prevailed with neither transport available nor hotels opened, leaving the tourists in the lurch.
The fans gave vent to their ire after failing to catch a glimpse of the thespian, as there was a 'mad rush' by people to pay their last respects. It was a scene of chaos in and around the stadium, as the fans went berserk. The funeral procession started from the stadium this afternoon. The funeral is slated to take place at Kanteerava studios at 5 pm.
Upset over not being able to gain access, the enraged fans also threw stones at the police who were present in large numbers. The grieving fans stood atop buildings nearby, hours before the mortal remains of Rajkumar were to be brought in a funeral procession from the Kanteerava stadium, where it was kept since last night, for the people to pay their homage. Mourners have been pouring into the stadium since then to pay their last respects, and the police have had a tough time trying to control the surging emotionally-charged crowds, swelling enormously in numbers with each passing hour.