Beltangady: Sowjanya Murder - Angry Students, Citizens Demand Justice
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (PS)
Beltangady, Oct 11: A day after 17-year-old Sowjanya was found raped and brutally murdered near Pangala in Dharmasthala, Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a mass protest at Ujire Circle here on Thursday October 11 demanding justice.
ABVP state secretary Ramesh K addressing a gathering of students and public said that this sort horrific act has taken place within Mangalore University limits. The police action to trace the culprits should be immediate, he said.
"An atmosphere should prevail and be maintained such that girl students can walk in streets without fear," he said.
Students from Government PU College, Beltangady, Government First Grade College, Beltangady, Kalpatharu College, Beltangady, Prasanna Education Trust, and SDM PU and Degree Colleges, Ujire joined in. Also, citizens of Dharmasthala and surrounding places and self-help women groups took part in the protest.
Former MLA Prabhakar Bangera, BJP taluk president Sharada Rai, taluk panchayat president Mamatha Shetty, APMC president Kushalappa Gowda among others were present.
DYFI and SFI also have planned a protest on Friday October 12 in Beltangady.
Sourced said that police have taken custody of suspects in the case and investigations have been intensified.
Campus Front Condemns Incident
The Dakshina Kannada district unit of Campus Front of India has condemned the rape and murder of Sowjanya, the 17-year-old PU student of SDM College, Ujire.
In a media release, Mohammed Imran, president of the district unit of Campus Front, said that the incident has shattered the self-confidence of the student community.
"The incident will create a sense of fear among the girl students about their safety. A talented girl who wanted to obtain education and do something good for society has lost her life because of a handful of dirty-minded people," he stated.
"Such instances of atrocity have been happening around the country. The law is toothless in handling such cases. Women have no protection and have to live in fear. The government needs to enforce stringent laws so that such incidents do not recur," he added.
The incident reported in Beltangady is a matter of shame. The police must step up their investigation and bring the culprits to book, and thereby give justice to the bereaved family, the press release stated.