BENGALURU, 22 APRIL

Kannada actor Harshika Poonacha and her husband Bhuvan Ponnanna were attacked by a group of individuals at a restaurant's parking lot in Bengaluru.

The assault, which occurred on 2 April, has sparked outrage and raised concerns about safety in City. The altercation reportedly began when Ponnanna asked a stranger to move aside in Kannada, to which the individual responded with derogatory remarks about Kannada speakers. The situation escalated when a group of 20-30 people, speaking in Hindi, Urdu, and broken Kannada, joined in.

Poonacha, who recorded the incident, attempted to seek help from the police, but the attackers assaulted Ponnanna before fleeing the scene. Despite approaching a patrolling vehicle and narrating the incident to an assistant sub-inspector, they were directed to file a complaint at the nearest police station.

Expressing her shock and dismay, Poonacha questioned the safety of speaking Kannada in Karnataka, likening the incident to living in Pakistan or Afghanistan. The faces of the attackers were captured in the video, prompting authorities to take action.

The delay in filing the complaint was attributed to Ponnanna initially ignoring the incident, but upon the advice of well-wishers, they decided to pursue legal action. They emphasised that their concern is solely for the safety of the public and not driven by any political agenda.

The Pulakeshi Nagar police have registered a case under various sections including sections 427, 341,504,143,149,393 and 323. -Salar News