Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Jul 23: The call for taluk bandh on Wednesday July 23 in connection to the mysterious death of Ratna Kottary earlier this month evoked mixed response.
The call for bandh was given by Hiriya Nagarika Vedike, Rajya Raitha Morcha, ABVP, auto rickshaw drivers and owners' union, bus owners' union, and hotel owners' union.
While private buses stopped plying in support of the bandh, government functioned normally. It was business as usual for a few shopkeerpers, while others chose to down their shutters.
Schools and colleges remained closed, especially as some of the auto rickshaws and buses were unavailable. Office-goers and the general public faced inconvenience due to the strike.
A silent protest rally was taken from Shastri circle to tahsildar's office, where a memorandum was submitted urging speedy probe into Ratna's death. The protestors wore black bands to express their ire.
Byndoor block BJP president Sukumar Shetty lamented that even though 15 days have passed since Ratna's death, the police have failed to achieve any progress in the case. "The investigation must be done quickly so that the family gets justice without delay. The culprits must be caught and punished stringently," he said.
Kundapur BJP block president Rajesh Kaveri, Shankar Ankadakatte of BJP Yuva Morcha and others were present.
Tight security was in place to prevent untoward incidents. The Udupi district police force was also deployed. The bandh was peaceful.
17-year-old Ratna was found dead in a forest area at Alandoor near Byndoor on July 12, three days after she went missing. Though almost two weeks have passed since her body was found, the police are yet to make a breakthrough.