Mangaluru: On August 24, yet another incident of moral policing was listed by the city when a Muslim boy travelling with a Hindu girl was assaulted – beaten black and blue, tied up to an electricity pole and stripped at Attavar in full public view – by an alleged saffron outfit.
Addressing a press meet on Wednesday, August 26, City police commissioner S Murugan said that around 13 people have been arrested following the incident. As per the court orders they have been remanded in judicial custody till September 7, and sent to Ballari jail.
While the commissioner did not divulge the names of the arrested, he said that some of them belonged to Bajrang Dal, one to VHP and some are not affiliated to any outfit.
When asked if any of them had a criminal track record Murugan said that only one among the 13 – named Kishan was involved in a petty quarrel apart from which none of the others have a criminal record.
Nevertheless, the police confirmed that there are seven more culprits in the crime that need to be arrested.
Murugan said, “We have been investigating the videos, WhatsApp images, Facebook posts, CCTV footage and other sources, the others will be arrested soon”, he said.
The male victim’s oral statement has been taken and case has been registered on charges of rioting, attempt to murder, dacoit and threat to life, Murugan said.
Adding to the details from the day of the incident, Murugan said, “The male victim left the supermarket at 5.27 pm, the girl left at 5.34 pm, at 5.47 pm they had a conversation, and between 5.52 pm and 6.10 pm, he was assaulted, the Pandeshwar police rushed to the spot without wasting any time and rescued the victim,” the commissioner added.
After a swirl of questions posed to the commissioner pertaining to whether the girl was forced to make a statement or if the case is a preplanned issue, Murugan said, “We have sufficient material to come to a truthful conclusion about the relationship between the Muslim boy and the Hindu girl. However we need to understand their rights of privacy” he said.
Concluding his talk, Murugan said that such incidents create fear among the people and brings shame to the society. He also urged the public to condemn against such incidents.
