Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 2: The Ullal police arrested two persons and produced them in court. These arrests were made in connection with violence, disturbances and assault on the driver of a private school in front of a hospital at Thokkottu earlier this year. The crowd had alleged that the driver of the school bus had sexually harassed a girl student.

Asif (23) and Syed Ummer Koya (25) from Madoor village were the persons arrested in relation to the above incident.

A crowd had forcibly entered a private school on April 13 this year, alleging that the driver of the school bus had sexually harassed a UKG student of the school. The gang had beaten up the bus driver. Later, when the girl was taken to Sahara Hospital at Thokkottu for medical tests, a crowd which had gathered in front of the hospital had pelted stones at the school bus and police van, damaging both the vehicles in the bargain, besides trying to attack media persons and snatch away their cameras. The crowd had obstructed police from discharging their duties. The police had resorted to caning to disperse the crowd and restore law and order situation.

The accused had gone underground after the incident. In the wee hours on Tuesday December 1, a police team led by sub-inspector of Ullal, Bharati, raided several houses at Madoor and took four persons into custody.

Relating to the incident, a crowd mobbed the police station later, alleging that innocent people had been arrested by the police. The crowd, led by SDPI leaders, demanded for the release of all the arrested persons. After questioning, the police released two persons, Imtiaz and Moidin U K from Madoor. Asif and Ummer Koya stand arrested.

During late night, SDPI activists, expressing anger at the silence of president Syed Madani Dargah at Ullal towards the arrest of innocent people by the police, laid siege to his house at Alekala village. When the police vehicle arrived at the spot to control the mob, stones were thrown at the vehicle. As a result, situation turned tense in the locality.

The crowd numbering 20-25 people urged Dargah president, U K Hamza, to intervene, expressing anger at the fact that police had entered several houses when women and children were present early morning, and taken away innocent people. They urged Hamza to hold talks with the police and get the arrested persons released. Hamza told them that having been in a position of responsibility, he could not do anything if police had done their duty lawfully. This angered the crowd, it is gathered. The crowd then started to create disturbances at which Hamza called Ullal police. Immediately thereafter, some police from Ullal station along with KSRP contingent came there in police vehicle. The crowd started running away at the sight of police, and threw stones at the vehicle. No damage was inflicted in this case, but the situation remains tense. Adequate police security has been provided to the residence of Dargah president now.