Mangaluru, February 16: It has been alleged that a group of about 21 persons have allegedly assaulted on a group of women who opposed the usage of loud speakers in a Mosque. The incident is reported to have occurred on Saturday night, February 14th; at Subhashnagar falling under Ullal police station jurisdiction.
It is gathered that in reprisal, another group had also assaulted on a woman. Three women have been admitted to a private hospital in Deralakatte, following this incident and 28 people are booked under various cases related to this incident.
It is learnt that on Saturday night, local women, identified as Baby, Kishori, Geetha and Shashikala Naik went to the house of Anjuman Mablagul Falah Madrasa committee president, Hameed to complain that the Madrasa was illegally using loudspeakers and that the locals who walk through the area at night were disturbed by groups who assembled near the Madrasa.
The Madrasa committee president Hameed, in response allegedly behaved rudely with the women and threatened to assault them if they did not leave his house. He also allegedly refused to give into their demands to do away with the loudspeakers.
While the women were returning home, a group of youths led by Naufal allegedly misbehaved with them and assaulted Geeta and Baby. A complaint in this regard was filed by Anita Veigas, a local, in Ullal police station.
Two women among the group of women were admitted to hospital, and cases have been registered against Hameed, Rahiman, Naufal, Salim, Basheer, Kareem, Imran, Majeed, Ashraf, Ishaq and Mohammed Haneef. They have been booked under various sections 506, 504, 143, 147, 149, 323, 324 and 354 on charges of death threat, attempt to murder, attempt to outrage modesty, and hurting religious sentiments.
In the mean time, it is said that when Subhashnagar resident Naushad was on his way back home after offering Namaz in the mosque, he saw a group of six youths forcibly dragging away a woman identified as Aminamma, residing at Subhashnagar. When he tried to intervene and stop the youths, they allegedly assaulted him. Relating to this incident, Naushad has filed a complaint in Ullal police station.
Acting on the complaint, the police registered cases against Subhashnagar residents Anil, Nithin, Dhanu, Yathish, Prashant and Manjunath under sections 143, 147, 148 , 149, 323, 324, 354 of the IPC.
The case related to Anjuman Mablagul Falah Madrasa is in court. It is said that an empty plot in the residential area had been kept for non-residential institutions as per an order by the then assistant commissioner. The Madrasa was built on the same plot, and the mosque activities also began, which were opposed by the locals who approached the court. The court had stayed on the mosque activities. Later, the Madrasa was reconstructed and mosque loud speaker was installed there, to which the locals expressed their opposition again. In presence of police, the equipment was removed. Regardless of the court’s stay order even now, between 8 pm and 11 pm, loudspeakers are used in the Madarasa, allege the locals.
Vishnuvardhan-crime branch DCP, Kalyan Shetty-ACP, SI Bharathi, and Savitra Teja- Ullal police inspector have visited the spot. Additional police security has been deployed in the area to avoid untoward incidents from taking place.
