Newskarnataka – Mangalore
Mangalore: Five persons have been identified as accused wherein two have been arressted in connection with the attack on Congress Corporator Pratibha Kulai, said Mangalore Police Commissioner R Hithendra during a press conference in the city.
However the Commissioner did not reveal the identity of the accused and said that the accused were known figures and the case still needs to be scrutinized.
He also confirmed that other suspects have also several other cases against them including murder and extortion.
Hitendra said “we did not register a case because we did not receive a complaint, but now a complaint has been registered.” However he did not give details of the complaint or elaborated why the complaint was not registered earlier.
As per the reports Congress Corporator Pratibha Kulai of Hosabetu ward was allegedly attacked and molested by a group of Hindutva activists in full public view. The assailants, purportedly also captured it on mobile phones. The city corporator complained to the police that a group of 30 persons belonging to a Hindu right-wing outfit harassed her as she was engaged in the election campaigning. Kulai had also addressed the media to confirm the reports on Tuesday April 1 after which she filed an FIR.
In her complaint Pratibha said that the Hindutva activists first surrounded her and then made a 16-year-old-member of their gang assault her at Kodikere near Mangalore around 4pm.
In the video, the boy can be seen grabbing the victim and attempting to strip her even as his comrades laugh and shout pro-Hindutva slogans where in it is also heard saying, “Don’t you find Hindu men attractive? Why do you like only Muslim men?”
The video soon went viral as it was shared on WhatsApp and other networking Apps.
The corporator said the attackers also threatened her that once Narendra Modi became the prime minister all people like her would be taught a lesson.
The local police had arrived on the spot and merely prevented them from causing further damage.
On the other hand Satyajit Surathkal,Convenor of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike said, “Our boys were just talking to her. She suddenly started getting physically aggressive and some of our boys retaliated mildly. Nobody molested her.”
