Pics: Pareekshith Shet
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (PS/SP)

Udupi, Feb 11: In an incident which happened at Halehitlu in Shirva near here, a man was allegedly beaten up by a couple relating to land dispute on Friday February 10.

Allwyn Alphonse (45), a resident near Sunni Bilal mosque at Halehitlu, Shirva, has been hospitalised after being allegedly assaulted by the couple.

Allwyn says that Linda Fernades and Praveen Cutinho attacked him with sticks when he was on a visit to a plot of over an acre he owns in Halehitlu. "When I approached Shirva police station, the same persons tried to assault me. Even after I got admitted into the hospital at Shiva, the accused gatecrashed into the hospital, and attacked me inhumanly in the presence of hospital staff before fleeing," he stated.

On the basis of complaint filed by hospital staff, Shirva police got Allwyn admitted into the government district hospital at Ajjarkad here. A case about the second attack was registered in Shirva police station.

People living in the neighbourhood of Halehitlu said that Linda, who is from Goa, had married Melvyn Fernandes 17 years back. They accused Linda and her husband of frequently attacking members of Catholic community living the village since about a decade. They said that the couple have spread so much panic among the locals that the locals are afraid of going near the couple's residence. "Linda does not allow even government officials to conduct survey of the land. She often incites her dog to attack the visitors. Pelting stones at visitors has been another habit she has developed. Even the police are helpless. The road used by about 15 families of Helehitlu in the area has been closed down," they explain.

It is said that Linda lives here with mother-in-law, Apoline. She along with Praveen have been spreading terror in the area. The people living in the village have urged the police to take stern steps against Linda and Praveen so that the people of the area can live and move around peacefully without fear.