Two persons shot dead in Mangaluru protests against CAA

Two victims from Bunder and Kandathpalli, who suffered bullet injuries when police opened fire to disperse a violent mob protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) near Bunder police station, succumbed in a private hospital on Thursday.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha did not confirm the death when DH made attempts to contact him.

The Commissioner said the mob which dispersed from Hamilton circle near DC office regrouped near Bunder police station. The mob armed with stones, iron rods, bottles and sticks attempted to set the police station on fire. When tear gas failed to disperse the mob, police fired two rounds in the air. The mob paying no heed to the repeated warnings begun assaulting the eight to 10 police personnel inside the police station.

During the assault DCP (Law and Order) Arunangshu Giri’s hand was chopped and DCP Lakshmi Ganesh K (Crime and traffic) sustained multiple fractures in his feet when miscreants dropped huge boulders on his feet.

Earlier, the Commissioner had defended their decision to open fire on the mob as being in `self-defence’. “In order to prevent the unruly mob from torching the Bunder police station with its police personnel, the police in self-defense were forced to open fire on the advancing mob,” Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Dr Harsha told mediapersons on Thursday evening.

“Left with no options, the police in self-defence used force to disperse the mob. After the deployment of force, mob fled from the area. The condition of eight among 20 personnel injured in attacks by the mob was said to be critical,” Dr Harsha informed.

Agitators on rampage

The police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells after hundreds of protesters from Nellikai and Mission roads, shouting slogans against Citizenship Amendment Act and the Union government, went on a rampage pelting stones at the police and vehicles.

Over 20 police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting. Former Mayor Ashraf and a journalist also sustained injuries during the lathi-charge by police.

When the crowd from Nellikai Road gathered near the DC office, defying the prohibitory orders clamped by police and district administration since Wednesday night, hotels and other establishments immediately downed shutters.

Nearly two hours after the violence, traffic and bus services were restored in the evening. As many as 10 youths involved in pelting stones were detained by police.

Curfew imposed

Close on the heels of an outbreak of violence, the Mangaluru City police imposed curfew in parts of the city.

Sources in Mangaluru Police Commissionerate informed that curfew was imposed in five police station limits including North, South, East, Barke and Urva police station up to December 21 (6 pm).

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police B M Laxmi Prasad told DH that the district had remained peaceful and no violence had been reported so far.