Moodbidri shuts down after murder, activists damage shops, police resort to lathi charge
Yashodhara Bangera
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Updated
Mangaluru, Oct 9: Hours after a flower vendor, who was also a member of right-wing outfits, was hacked to death in Mooddbidri, tension erupted in the town as a group of youths pelted stones and vandalized a few shops, a hotel and an office. The police had to resort to lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Prashant Poojary (29), son of Anand Poojary and a resident of Hosabettu, was hacked to death early morning on Friday October 9 by a gang of six persons who came in a bike. The masked assailants attacked Prashant on the head, face and chest and fled away. Prashant was rushed to a private hospital in Moodbidri and then to a hospital in Mangaluru, but he breathed his last on the way.
Among the three bikes used by the assailants, two did not have number plates, while the third bike was new and not yet registered, said eyewitnesses.
At around 4.30 pm the same day, Prashant's body was taken in an ambulance from Mangaluru to Moodbidri and public were allowed to pay their last respects at the circle near Nishmita Towers. But soon after the body was taken to Prashant's residence, a group of youths pelted stones and tried to cause damage to some of the shops. The police intervened and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
Moodbidri bandh
Following the murder, local leaders of pro-Hindu outfits and activists gathered at the spot and shops and business establishments downed their shutters throughout the day. While a few of the shops closed down voluntarily, others were forcibly shut by activists of right-wing outfits.
Buses and auto rickshaws also stayed off the roads. A person pelted stones at a hotel in Vidyagiri and damaged its glass panes. In another related incident, a group barged into an office of a real estate company located near the crime spot and vandalised the premises for not closing down. They damaged glass panes, computers and furniture in the office.
Moreover, a group also tried to forcibly shut down the petrol bunk located opposite the spot where the murder took place, and a few members of the group also broke flower pots that were nearby. The group also snatched and damaged the camera of a videographer of a TV channel who was recording the incident.
Earlier Report
Moodbidri: Flower vendor hacked to death by gang
Yashodhara Bangera
With Additional Pics by Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Oct 9: A gang of unidentified people attacked a flower merchant on Friday October 9 morning and murdered him near his shop here. The flower vendor had his shop near Samaja Mandir Gate in Moodbidri town.
The victim has been identified as Prashant (29), a resident of Hosabettu village.
As usual, Prashant was bringing stock of fresh flowers to his shop at around 7 am, when a gang attacked him behind the auto park located by the side of his shop, with lethal weapons.
Prashant, who was seriously injured, was later rushed to a private hospital at Mangaluru. However, he succumbed to his injuries, without responding to treatments.
It is gathered that Prashant was an active member of pro-Hindu outfits.