Bengaluru: A day after Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials were assaulted during a footpath encroachment-clearance drive on Commercial Street, police said the prime accused, Basavaraj Padukote, is a rowdy from Varthur with a criminal record.Padukote, a resident of Siddhapura and state president of Namma Karnataka Sene, was among 12 people arrested in connection with Tuesday’s attack that left five GBA staff injured, including two women assistant engineers who were allegedly pepper-sprayed.A senior police officer told TOI Padukote has a history of criminal cases and is listed as a rowdy sheeter in Varthur police limits. “Padukote and four others are from Whitefield and Varthur. We need to ascertain why they came to Commercial Street and allegedly provoked others against the lawful action being carried out by GBA officials to clear footpath encroachments,” the officer said.A court Wednesday remanded Padukote and four associates — Raghu, Basavaraj, Parthiban and Parashu Ram — to four days of police custody. The remaining seven accused were sent to judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison.The attack occurred Tuesday morning when officials of Bengaluru Central City Corporation were conducting the footpath encroachment-clearance drive as part of GBA’s Safe Footpath campaign. According to police, an argument with civic officials escalated into violence, resulting in injuries to five officials.Police are now probing whether the accused had planned to disrupt the drive and are examining their roles in mobilising people at the spot.
