Anand

Keshav

Hennur

Kammanahalli

Girish

Banaswadi

A 52-year-old BBMP corporator is accused of assaulting a youth for hugging his girlfriend in Lingarajapuram.However, BBMP corporator Phas rubbished the allegation, saying that he only asked the couple out of the area as another girl was molested by a group of two men in the wee hours of Sunday. Twenty-seven-year-old Giri, a resident of, is alleged to have come with his girlfriend on Wednesday night at around 10.30 pm. He parked his bike opposite the residence of HBR Layout ward BBMP corporator P Anand and was hugging the girl.“One girl was molested by two youths at, which is my neighbouring ward. This incident was being shown by all media channels all through the day and was also fresh in my memory. While I was standing outside my house, I saw the couple displaying some objectionable behaviour in public and asked them to leave, keeping the woman’s safety in mind. Instead of taking my advice seriously, the person started fighting with me asking me to mind my business,” Anand told BM. A heated argument ensued between the corporator and Keshav over the issue. Suddenly a group of five men, said to be the associates of the corporator, rushed to the scene and are alleged to have assaulted Keshav.Fearing the safety of his girlfriend, Keshav asked her to go back home.“I came to drop my girlfriend and was giving her a casual hug. What is wrong in hugging my girlfriend before sending her home. Moreover, it was not objectionable in any way and it was a very casual hug. The corporator who was outside the house started questioning us. I had a problem with him questioning us and I asked him to mind his business. I found him under the influence of alcohol and did not want to continue the argument even though he did not stop. When I was about to start my two-wheeler, the corporator came to click the pictures and I objected to him from taking the pictures of my girlfriend and my vehicle,” Keshav, who works as a sales associate, told BM.That was when the assault happened. As the youths were beating him, a few local residents came to the rescue of Keshav.Even Keshav’s father rushed to the spot and questioned the corporator for taking the law into his hands.Keshav also alleged that he heard the corporator telling his men to “vacate his girlfriend” from the area and they are alleged to have gone in search of her on Thursday morning.“The girl stays in my ward and resides four roads away from my residence. If I was at fault, I would not have called the police. The Hoysala patrolling police took him along with them. The youth sustained injuries when he fell on the road after he was pushed by a local who came to support me. The local pushed him in self-defence astried to hit him with his helmet,” the corporator added.Both the parties have complained against each other. Their petitions have been taken. The case is still under preliminary stage of investigations. However no arrests have been made yet, said thepolice who are investigating the case.