Tension prevails in Ullal, 76 held, sent to Bellary jail

With the closure of shops and business establishments in Ullal, there appeared to be an undeclared curfew in Ullal on Friday. Though the situation was under control, pelting of stones at a bus near Thokkottu, created tensed situation, in and around Ullal.

A child suffered injuries in the pelting of stones and is recuperating in a hospital.

In another incident, two police personnel and a man suffered injuries when stones were pelted at Ullal Kodi on Thursday late night.  

The police had convened a peace meeting in Ullal on Thursday night. However, the rumour that boats anchored at Ullal Kodi have been damaged, triggered tension with residents of Mogaveerapattanna, who engaged in damaging window panes, furnitures of Solar Games Club at Searoad in Ullal. In the melee, stones were pelted at three houses. In retaliation, the residents of Ullal Kodi pelted stones at houses in Mogaveerapattana. The KSRP platoons and the police rushed to the spot and resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

When the siuation failed to come under control on Thursday night, the police arrested 76 persons in Ullal Kodi and Mogaveerapattana. All the arrested have been produced before the court, which remanded them to judicial custody and they have been taken to Bellary jail.

Even after the arrest, few have pelted stones at Malaraya temple, Brahmasri Narayana Guru and Thokottu Vottoba Mandira on Thursday late night.

The buses to Ullal remained off the road. All the vehicles bound to Ullal were stopped at Thokkottu. A group had assaulted Mohammed Shahnawaz, a resident of Kodi on Thursday late night. 

Speaking to mediapersons, City Police Commissioner R Hithendra said that Section 144 will continue in Ullal. A petrol bomb and a lethal weapons have been seized from the spot and the situation is under control.

ADGP M N Reddy who visited the spot, called upon the public not to heed to rumours. “Miscreants make use of the situation during election. The police have list of miscreants.
We will initiate action against them at a  right time. The situation is under control. Two Coast Guard boats have been stationed near Ullal to ensure that no miscreants enter through sea route. The public can contact police control room to know the reality.”

Additional police forces from Mysore, Bangalore, Chikmagalur and Hassan besides KSRP platoons have been deployed to monitor the situation. Hassan SP and Dharwad SP Lokesh Kumar too are camping in Ullal to monitor the situation.

In the meantime, Dakshina Kannada unit of BJP has demanded strict action against those responsible for creating unrest in Ullal and surrounding areas.

Pejawar seer visits

Pejawar seer Vishweshwa Theertha Swamiji was sent back from Thokkottu by the City Police Commissioner, fearing aggravation of the situation.

Speaking to mediapersons, at Gatti Samaja, he said that the police have failed to control the situation. “If peace is not restored, I will hold hunger strike. I am returning back by not visiting the spot in Ullal, on the request of the City Police Commissioner,” he said.