Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 16: Six individuals have been arrested in connection with an incident of stone pelting at the Majidulla Hudajumma Mosque in Katipalla, reportedly aimed at inciting communal tensions in the area.
The incident occurred on the evening of September 15 at the mosque located in Katipalla 3rd Block. The mosque had been decorated with lights in celebration of Eid Milad. While workers were engaged inside, at around 9:50 p.m., unknown miscreants arrived on two bikes from the direction of the Janatha Colony cemetery and threw stones at the mosque, breaking the glass windows at the back of the building. The accused allegedly aimed to create discord between the Hindu and Muslim communities by damaging the mosque, as stated in the complaint lodged by mosque president K H Abdul Rahiman.
Under the guidance of police commissioner Anupam Agarwal, deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Siddharth Goel, deputy commissioner of police (crime and traffic) Dinesh Kumar, and assistant commissioner of police Srikant K from Mangaluru North sub-division, a special team was formed. Led by Surathkal police inspector Mahesh Prasad, the team, including sub-inspectors Raghavendra and Janardhan Naik, head constables Umesh Kottari, Annappa Vandes, Dileep Raj, and police constables Karthik Kulal, Vinod Kumar, and Manjunath Ayatti, investigated the case and arrested the accused near the Kadri Sri Manjunath Temple Road in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru East Police Station on September 16.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Bharat Shetty (26), son of Raviraj R Shetty, residing in Durga Nilaya, Ashraya Colony, Kanakatla, Surathkal
- Chennappa Shivananad Chalavadi alias Muttu (19), son of Shivanand Chalavadi, residing in Ashraya Colony, Kanakatla, Surathkal
- Nitin Hadap (22), son of Yogesh, residing in Kandige Padi, Chelaru village, Surathkal
- Sujit Shetty (23), son of Satish, residing in Kodipadi, Munchuru, Surathkal
- Anappa alias Manu (24), son of Hanumanta, residing in Eshwar Nagar, 3rd Cross, Hosabettu village, Mangaluru
- Preetham Shetty (34), son of Jay Shetty, residing in Katipalla 3rd Block, Mangaluru.
Bharat Shetty has 12 criminal cases registered against him, Chennappa Shivananad Chalavadi has five cases, Nitin Hadap has one case, Anappa has two cases, and Preetham Shetty also has two cases against him.
The police have seized a Swift car, two bikes, and four mobile phones used in the crime. The accused were presented before the court on September 16.