Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Aug 20: “I am innocent. Media has labelled me as terrorist. My whole family is undergoing mental agony due to this. This situation should not happen to anyone be he a Hindu or a Muslim,” said Abdul Rauf, a resident of Govindoor in Beltangady.
Rauf was speaking at the press conference organized by MLA U T Khader at the Circuit House of the city on the morning of Tuesday, August 20.
Abdul Rauf said, "I am working at Al Madeena at Manjanady. I am totally unaware about the situation. Soon after the media highlighted about the arrest, I received many calls from the police, family and friends. Media claimed that it got information from sources. If it is true, they need to reveal the source. During my eighth standard in school, I joined Al Madeena as an orphan, completed my education and now I am working there. I am totally unaware as to how my name was highlighted in media about my arrest.
“I have complained about this to the superintendent of police and have asked him to conduct investigation on the false allegations on me by media. I am deeply saddened by this development. Whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim, such false allegations should not be made by the media. I have come from a poor background. My mother fainted when she heard this news which was a shock to her. Media has said that they got this information from sources. Now the media itself has to clarify the source and give a clarifying statement,” he said.
It may be recalled, sections of the media reported that satellite calls made from Nyayatarpu village in Beltangady to a location in Pakistan. It was reported by a few media channels that the calls were intercepted after a terrorist disclosed details of the satellite call during an interrogation.
Reliable authorities in Dakshina Kannada rejected reports of an arrest made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Beltangady. Superintendent of police BM Laxmi Prasad further clarified that police are not looking for suspected terrorists in Beltangady.
The reports of satellite calls to Pakistan and arrest emerged at a time of heightened security in Dakshina Kannada and other parts of Karnataka after an alert was issued in the state.