All 39 accused in Mangaluru homestay attack case acquitted

Mangaluru: All 39 people arrested in connection with the alleged assault on 14 youths, including five girl students at a homestay in Padil in 2012, were acquitted by the Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court here on Tuesday.

On July 28, 2012, a group of youth claiming affiliation to Hindu Jagarana Vedike had allegedly assaulted 14 people at a party at ‘Morning Mist’ - a homestay in Padil. A total of 47 witnesses were examined in the case.

Advocates Prasad Palan and Kishor Kumar told DH that the identification parade of accused men was not conducted which turned out to be the biggest flaw in the investigation. Besides 11 out of 13 main witnesses had turned hostile, they added.