Mangalore: MSEZ Row - Five Including Vidya Dinker Arrested
Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)
Mangalore, May 24: Vidya Dinker, convener of Citizens' Forum for Mangalore Development, along with four others were arrested by Pandeshwar police near DC office here on Thursday May 24.
They were arrested in connection with their ongoing protest against MSEZ's alleged dumping of soil into Gurpur river for road widening at Kulur.
A group of 10 persons led by Dinker visited the DC's office to discuss the issue with deputy commissioner Dr Channappa Gowda. However, when they were not allowed to meet the DC, an argument is said to have ensued, and in the heat of the moment the group allegedly stopped the DC's car and is learnt to have created chaos. Earlier reports had claimed that Dinker had allegedly pushed the DC, however, police later confirmed that her group had only stopped the DC's car and hence hindered his work.
Pandeshwar police arrived at the spot and took five persons including Dinker into custody at around 5.30 pm.
The others arrested are Godfrey, Jacinta, Arun D'Souza and Latha. None bailable cases under sections 143 and 149 (member of an unlawful assembly), 147 ( rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code have been registered and all five are likely to be produced before the district magistrate on the same night.
B V Seetaram of Karavali Ale paper, Asha Nayak of child welfare committee and Muneer Katipalla of DYFI visited the arrested in the police station.
The MSEZ work which was suspended for a few days resumed on May 24. Earlier in the day the locals learnt of the development and began protesting at the spot and tried to stop the work. Around 70 people were arrested and sent to Panambur and Suratkal police stations, and were later released.
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