Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 19: In connection with the incidents of violence which happened as a result of friction between the protesters and the police at State Bank and Hampankatta areas in the heart of the city during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest on December 19, it is learnt that the police have served notices to hundreds of people including students, workers and women living near the Karnataka - Kerala border.

Section 144 was in force when the protest was held. A number of protesters had come together in State Bank area, defying the prohibitory order. When the police were trying to disperse the mob, several had suffered injuries, and two had lost their lives.

File Photo

As part of the investigation to identify the protesters who violated prohibitory orders and took part in the protest, the police are learnt to have served notices to people who came to the city for various reasons, based on the location of their cellphones identified through mobile towers. These notices were sent by speed post. The notices say that the police have information that on December 19, the recipients of the notice had illegally come together in the city and had taken part in disturbances here. The persons concerned have been asked to report at the city north (Bunder) police station before the prescribed date for questioning.

Thousands of people living around the state's border with Kerala visit the city for different purposes including eduction and business. Even though the notices were served to about 650 persons so far, in course of time, their number might cross a thousand, sources said. It is said that overwhelming majority of people to whom notices have been served are Muslims and they got notices because they reside in the border area of the two states. There has been widespread resentment against the issuance of these notices.

A number of people who received the notices including students and workers appeared in Bunder police station on Saturday. The police obtained their names, cellphone number and signatures, and asked them to appear for investigation without fail if they get notice from the criminal investigtion department in future. These people gave information about the purpose for which they came to the city like business, education, employment etc.

One of the persons from Manjeshwar who visited Bunder police station said that his two children study in the city and that they had come to State Bank at around 2.30 pm on December 19 and had to return by train as there were no buses. He said that even fish vendors and women from the border area who got notices presented themselves in Bunder police station in response to the notice. He said his two sons, one whom is a degree college student and the other studies in PU class, were asked to appear for questioning.

It is learnt that people who came to the city for shopping too got notices. It is being claimed that a few students, who were overwhelmed at the police notice, stopped attending schools and colleges while others have stopped coming to the city. He said that perhaps angered by the fact that he had spoken to the media, the police expressed anger and clicked his photograph.

Abdur Razak from Manjeshwar Mada said that he works as driver of a fish tempo and had come to Bunder to transport fish. As he did not get fish, he offered namaz at the Bunder mosque and returned home. At night, he got information about availability of fish, and he came to Bunder with his son and then took the tempo back with a load of fish, he stated. He said he and his son had come here for their personal issues and had not taken part in illegal things.

When contacted, Bunder police inspector, Govindaraju, said that the police had neither served any notice nor have anyone been questioned. However, the people asserted that they have received notices and charges like section 143 - illegal gathering, 147 - taking part in disturbancesa, 148 - possession of arms illegally, 188 - violating prohibitory orders, 353 - assault, 324 - violence, 427 - damaging public property, 307 - attempt to murder, and 120 - conspiracy and some other sections of Indin Penal Code have been mentioned in the notice.