A second person died on Tuesday in violence over the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The 30-year-old man, identified as Kumar, succumbed to injuries he sustained after he jumped from a three-storey building to escape being lathi-charged by the police, PTI reported.
The first civilian death in the stir was reported on Monday, after the Bengaluru Police opened fire at a mob of violent protestors in the city. The incident took place in Hegganahalli, where the crowd allegedly set a police vehicle on fire. The man killed was identified as Umesh, a 25-year-old petrol pump worker. Police officers said they had to resort to firing after the mob started coming at them when they tried to step in and control the situation.
Curfew continued in various parts of Bengaluru on Tuesday and no new incidents of violence reported, though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu remained locked in the Cauvery water dispute. Prohibitory orders were put in place in the state capital, restricting the assembly of more than 10 people in one place. As many as 365 people have been arrested in connection with the protests in Karnataka, the police said, even as additional security personnel have been deployed across the city and state.
At least 30 buses with Tamil Nadu licence plates were set on fire in Bengaluru, while outstation trucks were attacked in other parts of the state. The fire control room in Bengaluru received more than 100 phone calls , and at least 10 companies of the Rapid Action Force were sent in by the Centre to quell the riots.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called an emergency Cabinet meeting, and wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, saying incidents in her state were “inciting people” in his.
The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed the Karnataka government’s plea to set aside its order to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 10 days. It did, however, modify its order and reduce the amount of water to 12,000 cusecs. Protests broke out soon after, with violence being reported from both states.
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