Leaders of BJP, Hindu oufits meet SP, demand arrest of culprits

Shivamogga Dec 16 (DHNS): To avert possible communal clashes, the police on Saturday heightened security in various parts of the city as Shabarish, a PU student, was reportedly stabbed by three youth belonging to a minority community at Gandhi Park here on Friday night.

According to the police, Shabarish, a second PU student of Akshara College in the city, was stabbed when he was with his friends at Gandhi park on Friday night. He was taken to a private hospital and he is said to be out of danger. He has told the police that he had no idea about the attackers and the reason for they stabbing him.

It is said that there was a group clash at National College on Friday afternoon. But, Shabarish, a student of another college, was not involved in it. The police suspect that an affair with a girl could be the reason behind the incident.

Meanwhile, a delegation of leaders of BJP and Hindu outfits led by Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa meet Superintendent of Police Abhinav Ashok Khare on Saturday and urged the police to book a case against the attackers under Goonda Act and extern them from the district.

Khare said the Kote police have registered a case. The police have obtained clues about one of the suspects.

On Saturday, the police conducted a march in as many as 26 vehicles from the district police office to Urgadur, passing through B H Road, Hole bus stop and Vidyanagar to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the comunally-sensitive city.

A police officer told DH that some students of National College had written offensive remarks about girls belonging to minority community on wall of a toilet in the college. This had led to heated arguments and clash between the boys of the two communities on Friday.

On a tip-off, the police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Students from the minority community had informed their elders about the incident. They rushed to the college in the evening. By then, all the students had left. Irked by this, they went to Gandhi Park, opposite the college, to check whether students of the college were there.

Some people stabbed Shabarish who was with his friends in the park when he refused to reveal from which college he was. He has no connection with the incident in the college. The police are ascertaining whether the attackers have any links with Popular Front of India or it is a love-affair related incident, the officer said.