Karnataka legislator's son sent to jail in assault case

A court here on Wednesday sent Mohammad Nalapad, 24, son of ruling Congress legislator N.A. Haris, to 14 days judicial custody for allegedly assaulting a youth brutally at a cafe here last week, police said.

"Nalapad and six other accused have been sent to the central jail after the 8th Additional City Metropolitan Magistrate court remanded them to judicial custody till March 7," Bengaluru Central Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) N. Chandragupta told reporters here.

The other six accused are Arun Babu, Manjunath, Mohammad Ashraf, Balakrishna, Abhishek and Nafi Mohammed Nasir.

"We have produced all the accused in the court after the 3-day police custody ended. We have conducted preliminary inquiry into the incident and recorded their statements," said Chandragupta.

Nalapad and the six accused were arrested on Monday after they surrendered at the Cubbon Park police station near the Ferzi Cafe in the upscale UB City Mall where Vidvat was brutally assaulted following an altercation.

Though Nalapad's lawyer Usman filed for bail in the District Sessions Court as the FIR filed against him included "attempt to murder" charge under the Indian Penal Code, the plea has been adjourned to February 23.

"Nalapad and his friends have admitted to have committed the crime during their interrogation. We have also collected video footage from the Cafe and Mallya Hospital where the 24-year-old victim was again bashed for evidence and to verify with the complaint filed against them," added Chandragupta.

An embarrassed Congress expelled Nalapad from the party for six years and sacked him as the state unit's Youth Congress general secretary.

Haris, a two-time lawmaker from the Shantinagar assembly segment here, on Tuesday tendered an apology in the state legislative assembly for the violent conduct of his son.

--IANS

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