MANGALURU: Mangaluru police have not been able to ascertain the reason behind the mob lynching at Kudupu in the city on Sunday, even as rumours are spreading thick and fast and political parties are making allegations and counter-allegations.
The incident has led to fear of animosity between communities, especially with parties issuing provocative statements. Mangaluru city police are also under attack from political outfits for their failure to handle the issue, and taking over 48 hours to arrest the culprits.
So far, 20 persons have been arrested, and a search is under way for the remaining accused. Police are awaiting a report on blood samples collected from Ashraf, the victim.
Meanwhile, Congress and SDPI leaders have accused Ravindra Nayak, husband of a former BJP corporator, of provoking the mob to assault Ashraf (38) from Malappuram in Kerala. Dakshina Kannada Congress president Harish Kumar told reporters on Wednesday, "Pistol Ravi (Nayak), a BJP representative and husband of a former corporator, incited locals during the cricket match, which led to the murder of an innocent youth."
Local police misled higher authorities by registering it as unnatural death. Is there a difference between the terrorists who claimed 26 innocent tourists in Pahalgam, and those who lynched an innocent man in Kudupu?” Kumar demanded suspension of the Mangaluru Rural station police inspector.
SDPI demanded the arrest of Ravindra Nayak, who according to police sources, is absconding and has switched off his phones. Mangaluru police are yet to ascertain whether Nayak was directly involved.
According to police sources, one of the main accused, Sachin, claimed that Ashraf, came towards the cricket ground from a nearby railway track and started throwing stones at them and shouting. Sachin claimed they saw the person in the vicinity for the first time, and that he raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad!’ slogans, so they beat him up.
“Sachin informed others that the person had raised pro-Pakistan slogans, and they also beat him up. He claimed that after being attacked, the victim walked a little further and they assaulted him again. There were many injuries on his body,” said a police source.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal was not available for comment. Earlier, Ashraf’s family arrived in Mangaluru and shifted his body to their native village in Kerala.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Bharat Shetty alleged that Hindu youth were being framed in the mob lynching case. “Hindu youth are being framed in a false case, there is political pressure on the police. Anti-nationals are getting royal treatment in Congress-ruled states, while patriots are being portrayed as criminals,” he alleged.