Cauvery water row: 22-year-old woman arsonist set ablaze 42 buses in Bengaluru for Rs 100 and mutton biryani

C Bhagya is the only woman among the 400-odd people arrested in connection with the Cauvery protests.

Bengaluru: C Bhagya, arrested for setting fire to buses and trucks with Tamil Nadu registration number plate in Bengaluru on September 12, was allegedly offered Rs 100 and a plate of mutton biryani to join the protests over Cauvery water sharing.

The 22-year-old woman allegedly instigated the arson attack on 42 buses last week, said a report in The Times of India.

C Bhagya, alias Bhaghyasri, a native of Yadagir district (North Karnataka), is one of 11 people arrested on Thursday night for setting ablaze vehicles belonging to Tamil Nadu-based private travel firm, KPN, at D'souza Nagar.

The day labourer was arrested on the basis of a CCTV footage recorded in the vicinity of the incident.

Bhagya's mother Yellamma has told the media that her daughter's “friends” had offered Rs 100 and a plate of mutton biryani to join the protests.

"Bhagya had just returned home around noon (on September 12) when some men known to her came over and asked her to join the protests. They promised to give her biryani and Rs 100 at the end of the day," Yellamma said.

The New Indian Express, however, said her family claimed Bhagya was only one of the onlookers, not an active participant.

As per preliminary enquiry and CCTV footage, Bhagya was seen supplying diesel and petrol to the accused and throwing it on the buses.

Bhagya is the only woman among the 400-odd people arrested in connection with the Cauvery protests.

She has been booked for attempt to murder (IPC 307), unlawful assembly (IPC 143), rioting (IPC 147), rioting with deadly weapon (IPC 148), voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means (IPC 324), causing damage (IPC 427), damage by fire or explosive substance (IPC 435) and Column 2 of Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act of 1981, reported Bangalore Mirror.

Widespread violence erupted last week in Bengaluru and some other parts of Karnataka while sporadic trouble was witnessed in Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery water sharing dispute arising out of Supreme Court's verdict.

Soon after the apex court gave its amended order, directing Karnataka to release 12000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu till September 20, violence and arson flared up in Bengaluru.