Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Mar 10: The police have arrested a person in connection with the stone-pelting on St Joseph Vaz prayer centre at Panir.
The incident took place on the intervening night of February 24 and 25. The glass frame of the enclosure housing a statue of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus was damaged in the stone-pelting.
The police have arrested Ananda (30), a resident of Ukkuda, Kinya in this regard.
Addressing a press meet at his office on Tuesday March 10, police commissioner S Murugan said Ananda was taken into custody based on credible information and subjected to investigation. "After sustained and thorough investigation, he revealed that he was previously employed in the same church and had left the job around two weeks ago for want of better pay. On February 24, after getting drunk at the graveyard next to the prayer hall, he threw stone at the idol out of anger for the low pay he was getting at the church."
Ananda, a painter by profession, was arrested on Monday March 9 and sent to judicial custody on March 10.
The investigation of the case was taken up ACP south, on the instructions issued by the police commissioner. A special team was constituted under the leadership of Ullal SI Savithru Tej, comprising SI Bharati, SI Ranjendra B and staff.
The police team has been suitably rewarded for cracking the case, Murugan said.
He said that the Panir incident was a random act but it had got much attention from the public and was even given a communal colour. "Hence taking serious note of the incident, the police team investigated putting in all its efforts," he said, adding that people should not get provoked over any incident.
He further said that the CCTV cameras installed at religious centres are generally of low quality which make it difficult for the police to identify and nab the culprit. "The police have already installed 20 CCTV cameras in different places at the city, and Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned for the installation of CCTV cameras under MCC limits. These cameras will be of good quality with high resolution. The work on this is at its final stage and will be completed in the coming days," he said.
To questions on repeated incidents of stabbing in Ullal, the Suratkal college Facebook photo incident and the case against Sadhvi Balika Saraswati over alleged provocative speech, he said investigations are on in all these cases. He also said that in Ullal, CCTV cameras are of low quality so it is difficult to nab culprits.