Udupi: Clashes Between Halady Group, Kota Supporters - Police Arrest One
Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Update
Udupi, Jan 2: Following the clash between supporters of Halady Srinivas Shetty and those of minister Kota Srinivas Poojary on the night of December 31, police on Tuesday January 1 arrested one person.
The arrested has been identified as Raghavendra Hosakere, a resident of Barikere, who was charged with damaging Kota Poojary's car.
He was arrested by the police at Barikere and then taken to Kota police station.
Earlier Report
Udupi: Halady Group Vs Kota Supporters - One Injured, House, Car Damaged
Suvarna Brahmavar / Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Jan 1: While the district was celebrating New Year's Eve, clashes erupted between supporters of former BJP MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty and those of muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary at Kota here late night on Monday December 31, resulting in one person getting injured and considerable damage being done to property.
It is said that on Monday night, an argument over a trivial matter arose between Halady supporter Rama Poojary and Raghavendra Ganiga, personal assistant (PA) to Kota Srinivas Poojary, over the phone. The argument snowballed into a major fight.
Ganiga and his group allegedly barged into Rama Poojary's house at Kotthadi near Bannadi and assaulted him. When his wife Jayanti tried to intervene, Ganiga's group allegedly abused her and fled with a gold chain weighing five sovereigns. Rama Poojary was later admitted to a hospital.
As soon as the news spread, youths belonging to the rival group of Kota Poojary supporters pelted stones and liquor bottles at Raghavendra's house at Padukere in Parampalli. The windows and solar pipes at the house were damaged, sources said. It is said that they also threatened Ganiga's wife and snatched a gold chain weighing 8 sovereigns.
Cases were registered in Kota police station by both the groups.
Kota Poojary directed the police to conduct investigations into the incident.
Kota Poojary's Car Damaged
Meanwhile, miscreants pelted stones at Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary's official Innova car on Monday night. The car was parked at his residence.
The windshield of the car was damaged. The car was later shifted to Udupi and another car was given to Kota Poojary.
Poojary had travelled to Varahi in the official car to review the irrigation project there.
Case has been registered in Kota police station.
Brewing Enmity
It is said that trouble had been brewing between both the groups ever since Kota Poojary was made a minister while Halady was denied portfolio by the Jagadish Shettar government after being promised one. Some of the people identified themselves with the Halady group, and now and again trivial fights used to erupt between the two groups. The enmity was out in the open on New Year's eve. Though the situation is under control, matters have not yet been resolved, sources said.
The wives of Rama Poojary and Raghavendra Ganiga, visibly shaken by the incident, expressed their concern and said that if anything happened to their husbands, who would be responsible. "Justice must be done," they urged.
Speaking to Daijiworld, Halady said that his name has been unnecessarily dragged into the incident. "Even though I resigned from the MLA post and have been all to myself, they are not letting me be at peace and have been spreading stories about me. Please leave me alone," he said, adding that he came to know of the incident only after it was flashed by the media.