3 min readJul 22, 2026 03:47 PM IST
Street vendors’ body on Wednesday decried the recent assault on Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials during an anti-encroachment drive in Shivajinagar while urging the Karnataka government to initiate stringent legal action against the offenders.
In a statement, the Street Vendors’ Joint Action Committee described the assault as “highly condemnable” and maintained that the attackers were not genuine street vendors but individuals allegedly associated with a pro-Kannada organisation.
The outfit asserted that registered street vendors have been pursuing their livelihood rights through constitutional and peaceful means.
The committee has urged the government to ensure that genuine street vendors are not harassed in the aftermath of the incident. It also sought an independent inquiry into allegations that certain officials had been protecting groups operating illegal permanent structures on public footpaths.
Meanwhile, the city police on Wednesday arrested two more men who were part of the gang that allegedly obstructed and manhandled GBA officers while they were carrying out the demolition and footpath clearance operation in compliance with a court order. The incident took place around noon in front of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College. So far, the police have arrested 12 men, including the main accused, Basawaraj Padukote.
“Padukote is the state president of Namma Karnataka Sene, a pro-Kannada organisation, and has a criminal background,” a senior police officer said. He has a criminal background, primarily involving charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, assault, and criminal intimidation, the officer added.
He said all the accused will be produced before the court later in the day and seek their police custody.
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The Commercial Street Police in Bengaluru registered a case based on a complaint by Madhav Rao, GBA Assistant Executive Engineer, who was also attacked. Rao alleged that two identified individuals, along with several others, pepper-sprayed civic personnel before attacking officials with iron rods and other objects, leaving multiple members of the enforcement team injured.
Apart from Rao, those injured include assistant engineers Goutham, 29, (Shivajinagar Sub-Division), and Ruchita, 25, (Shivajinagar Sub-Division); Savitri, 40, Assistant Executive Engineer, Halasuru Sub-Division, and Siddappa, 30. A JCB operator, tractor driver and several workers engaged in the demolition drive were also allegedly assaulted.
The police have registered a case under charges of attempt to murder, assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging official duty, assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, aggravated criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, unlawful assembly, and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharging official duty of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police said the investigation is under way to identify the involvement of other accused in the attack.
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