Bengaluru: A Ganesha immersion procession turned chaotic near Orion Avenue Mall recently when a 19-year-old girl drove her car into the procession, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, injuring a few participants. Police personnel intervened to protect her from an angry crowd when they tried to assault the girl. But she abused the policemen, struck a woman home guard, pulled her hair and bit her forearm.The incident occurred around 11.20pm on Sept 20 near the mall on Dodda Banasawadi Main Road in Jaibharathnagar, when the accused, Sara Vijay, was driving a car bearing registration number KA-01-NF-2742 from the ITC side towards IOC junction. Police said the car collided with a Ganesha idol procession vehicle organised by a local resident.A few people taking part in the procession were injured in the collision as the car hit them before colliding with the procession vehicle. Following the incident, members of the procession and the public got angry and got into an argument with the girl. As she allegedly replied to them rudely, they pulled her out of the car and found that she was drunk.The crowd became emotional and asked her what if the Ganesha idol had been damaged in the incident and what if people had suffered severe injuries and lost their lives, and attempted to assault her. A few others smashed her car windshield and damaged the car with stones.Head constable Ramesh Basappa Valmiki, along with other personnel deployed for procession security duty, intervened and shielded the girl from the crowd. However, according to the complaint filed by Ramesh, the girl abused the policemen and resisted when women personnel tried to restrain her.During the scuffle, she assaulted woman home guard Archana HK, pulled her hair and created high drama for a few minutes. She further bit Archana on her right forearm, causing injuries.The girl was subsequently taken into custody with the help of the other women police personnel and taken to Banaswadi police station. A case has been registered under Sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).Police further asked Banasawadi traffic police to subject her to an alcometer check, and her reading was 90 mg/100 ml. She was also booked for drunk driving, and her vehicle was seized. The girl is a BBA student at a private college. She had a driving licence and was returning home at the time of the accident, a senior officer said.She was arrested and released on station bail and has been served a notice to appear before police again. Since people had suffered minor injuries, they did not file a complaint, the officer added.
