The Bengaluru police have initiated action against a prominent college in the city, accusing the college authorities of organising an Independence Day celebration which they had “not taken permission for”, and allegedly causing a major traffic jam on August 15. Based on a suo motu complaint, the High Grounds police booked the principal and management of the Mount Carmel College (MCC), on charges of creating public nuisance.
A First Information Report (FIR) was filed based on a suo motu complaint raised by Sachin SP, a Sub-Inspector attached to the High Grounds police station. As per the FIR, the police received information that as many as 8,000 people had gathered at the college for the event, including undergraduate and PUC (Pre University Course) students. Further, the attendees had crowded outside the college and parked their vehicles on the road, which caused traffic snarls on the busy section. It was found that the college had distributed 10,000 tickets to students, and encouraged them to sell these to students in other colleges. There was no permission granted to Mount Carmel College to conduct the Independence Day event, the FIR added.
With thousands of people showing up for the event unexpectedly, college authorities had restricted entry for those without tickets at the gates. The frustrated crowd, who were unable to get in, began to shout and create nuisance, the FIR stated. The college officials have been booked under sections 290 (public nuisance) and 291 (continue to create public nuisance) of the Indian Penal Code.
The police sought action against the MCC college management, the principals of the PU and degree colleges, and those who organised the Independence Day event. A senior faculty member of Mount Carmel College told Deccan Herald that the management did not expect such large crowds for the event, and that apart from the overcrowding outside the college entrance, no untoward incident was reported.