Peace prevails in Mangaluru; internet suspended

A day after two persons were killed in police firing during the protest against Citizenship Amendment Act on Thursday, the coastal city remained peaceful on Friday barring stray incidents of stone throwing.

Normal life was disrupted in the city as the curfew in the limits of five police stations has been extended across the city till Sunday night. Roads looked deserted as neither the buses nor autos plied since morning. Policemen were seen in most of the roads. Some shops, which had opened their shutters in the morning, had to close down after the police asked them to do so. People hesitated to venture on roads. Only some hospitals and medical stores were open for the day.

There was undeclared bandh across the district. Business activities had come to a halt at Vitla, Bantwal, Puttur, Ullal, Uppinangady, Mulki, Moodbidre. A bike was set on fire at Boliyar under Konaje police station limits on Thursday night. Stones were thrown on two buses near Bantwal. Two buses were stoned at Uppinangady on Friday. Superintendent of Police B M Lakshmiprasad said that barring this incident, there were no reports of any violence. The movement of buses from Uppinangady was suspended at 10 in the morning.

Internet services had been suspended across Dakshina Kannada district. Holiday has been declared for schools and colleges on Saturday also. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will visit Mangaluru on Saturday to take stock of the situation.

Curfew was relaxed for two hours between 12 pm and 2 pm for Friday prayers. People were allowed to offer prayers at mosques during these hours. However, hundreds of policemen were deployed around mosques during the curfew relaxation period.

Several senior police officers are camping in Mangaluru to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, the last rites of the two persons who were killed in police firing during protest against Citizenship Amendment Act on Thursday, were performed amid heavy security in the city on Friday. Abdul Jaleel (47) and Nousheen (23) died of bullet wounds they sustained in police firing. The post mortem was conducted at Wenlock district hospital.

A total of 11 persons sustained injuries after police opened fire near Mangaluru North (Bandar) police station of whom two died and nine are in hospital. Two of them are stated to be critical.