Udupi: Attack on students in bus - Kaup shuts down in protest
Inchara Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (VM)
Udupi, Mar 16: Various Hindu organizations on Saturday March 16 called for a bandh in connection to the recent attack on three students for talking to a girl from another community in Manipal-Mangalore express bus.
In the morning, Kaup town observed complete bandh as a result of which all shops were seen with shutters down. Auto rickshaws, tempo, cars and private buses too did not run in Kaup, thus showing complete support to the bandh.
Various Hindu organizers protested in Kaup city demanding the immediate arrest of all the accused involved in the incident and to take strict action against them. As part of the protest, a procession was taken from the town to Kaup police station where hundreds of people gathered.
The procession ended after a memorandum was submitted to Kaup DySP Jayanth Shetty. Tight security was deployed in Kaup to prevent untoward incidents. Overall, the protest was peaceful.
Suprata Shetty, Vishwa Hindu Parishat district president, Geetanjali Suvarna, Arun Shetty Padur, BJP leaders like Vijay Karkera, Naveen Shetty, Ravindra Shetty, Vilas Nayak, Prakash Shetty Padebettu among others were present.
It may be recalled that on Wednesday March 13, two youths, identified as Srinath (23) and Rajesh (24), residents of Katipalla, Mangalore, along with another youth were beaten up by a group allegedly belonging to PFI. The youths, students of a college in Mangalore, were returning to Mangalore from Manipal by bus when the incident took place. During the bus journey, the youths were reportedly talking to a girl from another community. Noticing this, a youth who was in the same bus informed members of the local community outfits who later waylaid the bus and reportedly thrashed the youths.
Four persons have been arrested in connection to the case, and police had assured that all the accused would be arrested by Saturday. The arrested are Mullaru Pakirakatte Mubin (31), Thousif of Mullaru Kombagudde (25), Jalaluddin of Uchila (24) and Nasir of Uchila (21). They have been remanded in judicial custody till March 23.