Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics by Silvester Dsouza, Kundapur
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Feb 26: On the allegation of having a role in the unsavoury incidents which occurred in Shivamogga district last week, the police on the night of Tuesday February 24, took into custody seven Popular Front of India (PFI) activists from the taluk. It is said that the policemen made these arrests, after watching carefully the video footage of the Popular Front of India programme held at Shivamogga, and disturbing incidents which happened before and after this programme.
As per reliable information, the police department has identified about 60 PFI activists from the taluk as having taken part in the disturbances. The above arrests were made all of a sudden on Tuesday night after two days of secret operations, it is learnt.
A police team led by Shivamogga rural station police circle inspector was involved with this operation. The operation was conducted in Kelaginapete in the town, besides Kalladka and Farangipet in the taluk. It is said that two persons residing around Kelaginapete here were arrested from railway station area at Kaikunje here, while five others were taken into custody from in and around Farangipet.
It is gathered that the policemen are keeping a close watch on those who led the team of participants from the taluk, and also those who had been seen taking active part in the PFI rallies held at Shivamogga and Mysuru. Their operations are backed by records of cell phone conversations, tower network, and video clippings, sources in the police department revealed.
It is reliably learnt that four more were arrested by the police from within the jurisdiction of Mangaluru rural police station. The policemen are not agreeable to reveal identities of the arrested persons or any other details connected with these arrests now, with a view to maintain confidentiality.
It may be recalled that four persons accused of involvement with the murder of Alkola Vishwanath at Gajanur Camp when the participants of Popular Front of India's programme at Shivamogga were returning, have been already arrested from Kody near Kundapur.
The arrested accused are Muhammed Mushar (21), son of Pakeer Saheb from Posat in M Kody Kundapur, Asheed Ahmed (32), son of K A Hussain from Posat in M Kody, who is an interior designer by profession, as well as Arshad Ahmed (27), son of K Ibrahim, and Muhammed Hanif (43) from the same village. They were arrested on Tuesday February 24. They were eproduced before the media at Shivamoga. A team led by Bhadravathi deputy superintendent of police, Sadanand Naik, had made these arrests.