Mangaluru: A protest staged by members of Popular Front of India (PFI) outside the office of the city police commissioner demanding justice for a victim of police atrocities here turned ugly with the police resorting to lathicharge to disperse the mob on the morning of Tuesday April 4.

As per reports, the crowd had allegedly pelted stones at the police commissioner’s office and at the personnel injuring a few including inspector Beliappa, ACP Uday Nayak and ACP Shruthi following which the police had to resort to a lathi charge and took into custody a few of the members.

“They went on protesting without taking prior permission and were obstructing us from carrying out our duties, on account of which they were detained”, said K M Shantharaju, DCP in charge of Law and order.

The protest which was organized without seeking prior police permission also created traffic snarls in the area.

It is gathered that the victim, Ahmed Qureshi , a resident of Katipalla Kaikamba had been taken into custody by the police on March 21 in connection with a murder case for questioning. The police it is alleged kept him in illegal confinement till March 27 and he was produced in court only after his family sought a search warrant for him from the court.

Quershi’s family has alleged that he was tortured while he illegally detained and was admitted to Wenlock hospital after he developed health complications. Further they mentioned that the doctors have stated that one of his kidney is not functioning.

The PFI activists have sought a fair probe into the allegations.