Coastal town Mangaluru in Karnataka which is a communally sensitive and vulnerable is back in news. The Mangaluru police had lathi charged activists of People’s Front of India (PFI) who tried to lay siege the city Police Commissioners office on Tuesday. According to police the PFI activists who were protesting aganst the arrest of an activist have pelted stones on government buildings but also tried to lay siege the police commissioner’s office at the heart of Mangaluru.
Police said hundreds of PFI activists resorted to snap strike at around 10.30 a.m. in front of the city police headquarters in the busy central business district. The activists were protesting alleged police atrocity against Ahmed Qureshi, resident of Katipalla, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Prakash Poojary under Suratkal police limits. The activists also demanded that PFI district vice-president Khader Kulai, who is another accused in the case and is absconding, should not be arrested.
Mangaluru police said seven police personnel, including two assistant commissioners and one inspector, were injured in stone throwing and manhandling by PFI activists and one PFI activist received head injuries during the lathi charge. Police have detained 72 activists.
Commissioner of Police M Chandra Sekar said the activists had not obtained any prior permission from the police to conduct the protest. “I’m always open for democratic ways of protests, including against the police. However, it should be done in an orderly manner,” he said.
All of a sudden activists gathered in front of his office at around 10.30 a.m. blocking the traffic and did not move despite repeated requests.
“We had to use minimal force to disperse the unruly crowd,” he added.
According to police ACPs Uday Nayak and Shruthi, South Inspector Belliappa and four other constables were injured. The Commissioner said such incidents are a cause for concern and said about six months ago, PFI activists had made a similar attempt in connection with an incident reported in another place near Mangaluru.
Disputing PFI’s claim of police atrocity against Qureshi, the commissioner said the accused had stated before the magistrate on March 28 that the injury he sustained was due to a road accident that occurred a couple of days ago. Security has been beefed up around the city.