Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jun 26: The police have taken a few people into custody for questioning relating to spreading panic in Bantwal taluk by pelting stones at various buses and injuring a few. Cases were registered in Bantwal town station and Puttur station about damage to seven buses, both government and private, and injuries to some people. Additional police personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas.
In the incident in which stones were pelted at a bus at Kambalabettu Urimajalu, loss inflicted on the bus owner has been estimated at Rs 54,000. Cases of obstructing on duty personnel from discharging their duties and destruction of public properties have been filed. Special teams have been formed to nab the culprits.
Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police, B M Laxmi Prasad, additional superintendent of police, Dr Vikram Amate, assistant police superintendent, Saidul Advath, and others visited Vittal and monitored law and order situation.
There is suspicion that the stone pelting incidents might be having something to do with the incident in which a gang which came in car had intercepted a pick-up goods vehicle carrying cattle. In this case, it was alleged that the gang members had assaulted two persons in the pick-up vehicle, and taken away money, vehicle and cattle. A case had been registered against six persons in this connection in Badiyadka police station.
Hamza (40) and Altaf (34) residing at Parpunja near Puttur were transporting two cows and a calf in a pick-up vehicle when a gang had attacked them. It was alleged that the gang had snatched away Rs 50,000 in cash, pick-up vehicle and the cattle. Injured Hamza and Altaf had got admitted into hospital. On the basis of their complaint, Akshay, Ganesh, Ragesh,Mithun and two others from Adyanadka Vittal were booked under sections of law that are not bailable. Vittal police had taken the pick-up vehicle into custody on Monday afternoon. The cattle are said to be under the care of a person from near Vittal.
Messages which were circulated in social media relating to the incident had condemned the Badiyadka police for registering case against people who had opposed illegal cattle trafficking. Warning about organizing bandh led by Bajrang Dal had been circulated in social media. Even though the bandh did not materialize, stone pelting incidents continued to take place from Monday night to Tuesday morning.
Two government buses and five private buses were stoned by miscreants, damaging the buses and injuring passengers including some children. As the drivers in their complaints had said that motorbike-borne miscreants were involved with these incidents, some two-wheelers were taken into custody. The police returned the vehicles to owners whose explanations were found to be satisfactory.