from Daijiworld's crime correspondent

Mangalore, May 20: It was only a year ago that two cattle traders were stripped naked and paraded at Udupi.  Though at first no one raised any voice against this, gradually the episode caught attention of the entire state.  People even took to the streets in protest against the incident.

Now another such incident has been reported from the heart of the city.  The Kankanady Bar and Restaurant staff stripped a customer naked and threw him on the road for failing to pay bar bill in the early hours of Saturday May 20 morning.

Tulasidas, a resident of Udupi had come to Kankanady Bar and Restaurant on Friday night to have drinks.  Once he was drunk he realized that he did not have enough money to pay the bill.  So he told the bar owner that he would pay Rs 200 later.

But the bar management ordered the staff to strip the person and throw him outside the bar.  The bar staff stripped him naked and dumped him outside. 

The rickshaw drivers outside the bar saw this and informed the police.  But sources said that night patrol police who came to the spot were not much concerned about the person and were instead supported the bar staff.

It is indeed a inhuman act that has taken place in a territory belonging to the intelligent people. The recurring cases of  rape, violence against women, thriving child labour, increasing dowry harassment cases etc are posing a big question mark on the culture which is nurtured in the district.

The present incident took place around 12.30 am on Saturday.  As per the rules all bars and restaurants in the city are expected to down the shutters by 11.30 pm.  But if the said bar was on up to 12.30 am, it shows that everything is not right.  Laws and regulations are repeatedly violated.  But the accused are going scotfree.

A legal expert told Daijiworld.com that if the case reported is indeed true, it is a fit case of human rights violation to be actively pursued.