Kundapur: Gangolli under control, three cases booked: IGP
Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld News Network - Kundapur (RJP)
Updated
Kundapur, Nov 28: Three cases have been booked in connection to the clashes that erupted on Thursday November 27 night and investigations are under progress, informed Amrit Paul, IGP (western range).
Amrit Paul visited the Gangolli police station to take stock of the situation after the attack on a journalist on November 27.
He said that what transpired in Gangolli was a small incident and investigations are on the right track. He revealed that the police acted promptly in time and the situation at present has come back to normal.
IGP also said that Gangolli has of late become a sensitive place with clashes taking place frequently. When asked about the measures taken by the police department, he said that sufficient police personnel have been deployed in town and hence there was no need of any apprehension.
Additional SP Santosh Kumar, SP Rajendra Prasad, DySP C B Patil, circle inspector Divakar were present during IGP's visit.
Earlier Report
Kundapur: Clash erupts in Gangolli over frivolous reason, journalist assaulted
Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Nov 28: For some frivolous reason, youth belonging to two different communities fought on the night of Thursday November 27. The friction erupted at Melgangolli within the limits of Gangolli gram panchayat limits.
It is gathered that a member of one of these groups, named Hanif, was injured and admitted to the government hospital in the town.
A Gangolli-based journalist, Raghavendra Pai, who had visited the spot to gather information was beaten up. His motorbike was also damaged by the miscreants.
Uneasy calm prevailed in Gangolli, which has always come to be known as communally sensitive region, since sometime. For various reasons and on account of certain unsavoury incidents, discontent was simmering among the communities, but the situation was waiting to burst into the open. A frivolous incident which reportedly occurred on Thursday threatened to vitiate the atmosphere. A gang of youth had lobbed soda bottles at the opposite group. When the other gang was proceeding to challenge the opposing gang and question the gang members about the incident, police intervened and stopped the situation from worsening.
B Raghavendra Pai, a local journalist, went to the spot to gather information about the situation. He was stopped by one of the gangs. Even as he wanted to know why he was being intercepted, the gang began hitting the motorbike, damaging its front portion completely. Pai was also assaulted, as a result of which he fell down. He suffered injury to his hand. The police have taken over possession of the motorbike for investigation purposes. Some members of the gang tried to stop other members from attacking pai.
It is said that some youth from one of the communities were returning to Gangolli after attending a programme, when soda bottles were tossed at them. As the gang was moving in motorbikes, they did not suffer any damages. The youth then questioned the gang responsible for throwing the bottles. As the situation was hotting up as a result of verbal frictions, Raghavendra Pai reached there, and was assaulted. Police interference saved the situation from going out of hand.
In connection with the incident, two persons from a community filed police complaint against the attackers. The other group also filed a complaint, and one of its members got admitted into hospital. In his complaint, a person named Naveen said that a gang of about 40 members including Hanif and Iliyas had attacked him and his friends. Hanif filed a counter complaint. The injured journalist also filed a complaint about the incident.
Byndoor police circle inspector, Sudarshan, Kundapur circle inspector, P M Diwakar, local police sub-inspector, and others visited the spot and oversaw security arrangements. Additional police were deployed in the area and surveillance has been strengthened to monitor the situation closely.