'Moral police' attack creates ripples in M'lore

Series of protests, visit by top cops, minister marks the day

In the backdrop of the attack on the party-goers at a home-stay by the ‘moral-police’ in Padil on Saturday, Mangalore city witnessed a series of events on Sunday. 

If the police succeeded in arresting eight of the attackers by Sunday morning, the search for the rest 10 people is on. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 has been clamped in the city for next three days to avoid any untoward incidents. 

The events began with the protest by a group of 30-40 men belonging to Hindu Jagarana Vedike in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, who demanded for the closure of bars, pubs and home stays in the city.  As Section 144 was clamped immeditaley, the protesters were arrested by the police and were carried in the police vans and were released later. 

The arrested include Corporators Sudheer Kannur, Diwakar Pandeshwara, BJP Minority Morcha President Franklin Monteiro and BJP leader Satyajith Surathkal. 

Police chief visits

Earlier in the day, State Additional Director General of Police Bipin Gopalakrishna visited the home stay where the incident took place. Addressing the media, he assured of taking stern action against the culprits. Stating that there was no definite pattern for pub and home-stay attacks by moral police in Mangalore, he said the last incident took place in 2009 and now another incident has taken place after a gap of three years. “The gap shows that these incidents are not frequent and we will ensure that it would not occur again,” said the police chief.

Even as different political party leaders called for the press meet and opposed the attack, Hindu Jagarana Vedike which is alleged of carrying out the attack, has denied the allegations. 

Cong leaders arrested

The members of District Youth Congress and DCC staged protest in front of the Mangalore City Corporation office. The police arrested the protesters including KPCC Secretary Ivan D’Souza, Youth Congress leaders Mithun Rai, Pravinchandra Alva, Bola Jagannath Shetty for defying the prohibitory orders. As the students belonging to NSUI and general public too joined the protest, the police had to resort to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. 

District-in-Charge Minister C T Ravi visited the district by evening and convened a meeting of the officers to analyse the situation and directed to take necessary measures to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, All College Students Union (ACSU) has called for an all-college bandh on Monday in protest against the attack.