Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)

Mangaluru, May 7: BJP leaders and Hindu outfits on Thursday May 7 gheraoed Urwa police station here for about two hours demanding the release of the four who were arrested a few days back by Urwa police in connection to an alleged moral policing and kidnapping case.

Satyajit Suratkal, leader of Hindu Jagarana Vedike said, "A few days back a Muslim youth had brought a Hindu girl from Hubballi and was planning to sell her into prostitution and when it came to the the notice of a few Hindu outfits, they caught them and handed them over to the police. But the police filed a case of moral policing, threat to life, and kidnaping case against a few BJP leaders and members of the Hindu outfits.

"At midnight on Wednesday May 6, the police entered the houses of a few members of Hindu outfits and arrested them. This is violation of human rights and we have come here to protest against the police high-handedness," he said.

"In the coastal region especially in Dakshina Kannada, cases of kiddnapping and cheating women and selling them into flesh trade are increasing. The police instead of curbing such incidents have arrested the people who saved the life of the woman. This is not acceptable," he added.

Criticizing the state government, he said, "The Congress government is taking action against good citizens who do good work. The people who indulge in cow slaughter are given cash awards, and cattle trafficking and menace of drug abuse still continue to haunt the district. The government instead of taking action against the culprits is filing false cases of moral policing mainly against Hindu outfits. We have come here to protest and demand that all the false cases be withdrawn and the innocent persons arrested be released immediately."

BJP leaders like J Krishna Palemar, Monappa Bhandary and Sudheer Shetty Kannur spoke to police and explained the matter and demanded the release of the four.

ACP south Thilakchandra explained to the BJP leaders that they have already filed cases and they will be produce in the court by afternoon and by evening will be released on bail.

Following assurance from the police that they would look into the case again, the protestors dispersed.

Background of the Incident

It is said that Meena (name changed), aged 17, a resident of Hubballi was supposed to come to Udupi to collect some gold ornaments which she had lost during a marriage function. She was in touch with a person identified as Mallesh, a neighbour and his friend Sadiq. It is learnt that Mallesh had stolen her gold ornaments and when she asked him to give them back, he told her to come to Udupi to collect them.

Sources said that when she came to collect her ornaments in Udupi, the bus driver grew suspicious about her and insisted that she remain in the bus and then dropped her in Mangaluru at a corporator's house, sources said. Meanwhile, Sadiq who came by another bus and Mallesh who was supposed to meet the girl were also called to the corporator's house. 

It is said that a few right-wing activists gathered an allegedly thrashed them, and forced them into an auto rickshaw, suspecting them of being involved in flesh trade, sources said.

The trio were then handed over to the police, but Mallesh filed a counter case on the activists alleging kidnap and threat to life. The police late night May 6 arrested the activists.