Minutes after he was released on bail from the central prison at Parappana Agrahara on Tuesday, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president T.A. Narayana Gowda was arrested in another case that dates back to 2017 by the city police.
He was produced in court, which remanded him back to judicial custody later in the day. He was sent back to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
Mr. Gowda was arrested by the Chikkajala police on December 27 in connection with the vandalism his protest rally against non-Kannada signboards led to. He was granted bail on Saturday, but was released from prison on Tuesday after all the formalities were completed, but arrested again.
High drama prevailed at the prison complex on Tuesday when several hundred KRV activists were waiting to welcome their leader from prison, but Mr. Gowda was rearrested amid heavy police security. This time, the Kumaraswamy Layout police arrested him in the 2017 case, where he and his associates painted the signboard of Yelachenahalli metro station black to protest the use of Hindi. The KS Layout police had then arrested Mr. Gowda and his associates and they were released on bail. The police have also filed a chargesheet and the trial is under way. However, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against Mr. Gowda as he did not attend the trial.
Murthy, advocate representing Mr. Gowda, said this was “a conspiracy to keep him in jail longer”. Sources said the Halasuru Gate and the Chikkajala police are also waiting to arrest him in connection with cases registered in their jurisdictions.
Considering the security concerns, the court may conduct the hearing through videoconference on Wednesday. Elaborate security arrangements have been made outside the central prison at Parappana Agrahara.
