Moral policing in Mangaluru: Five Bajrang Dal men arrested for heckling inter-faith medicos

MANGALURU: Five Bajrang Dal activists were arrested on charges of moral policing at Surathkal. In a viral video, the pro-Hindu right-wing activists were seen heckling and harassing a group of MBBS students of KS Hegde Medical College. 

According to the police, the incident took place on Sunday evening when six MBBS students were driving back from Malpe Beach. The activists stopped their car at Surathkal tollgate and questioned the women for 'being in the company of Muslim youngsters'. The eyewitnesses said that the activists also tried to assault the students. 

Traffic inspector Sharif, who was at the spot, intervened and stopped the activists from harming the students. 

Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar told The New Indian Express that Preetham Shetty, Bajrang Dal district Pramukh, Arshith, Bajrang Dal Prakhand Pramukh Surathkal, Srinivas, Rakesh, and Abhishek were arrested and booked under sections 341(Punishment for wrongful restraint), 323, 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "There were two Christian boys, one Muslim boy, and three Muslim girls in the car," said commissioner N Shashi Kumar.

It may be recalled that a similar incident had taken place on September 17 when two youngsters stopped a biker, who was dropping his female colleague from another religion. The duo had assaulted the biker while abusing the woman near Dairy Circle on busy Hosur Road in Bengaluru.

#Mangaluru Five Bajrang Dal activists arrested for 'moral policing' at Surathkal. MBBS students of K S Hegde Medical college were heckled by these BD activists when they were returning after visiting a beach @vinndz_TNIE @XpressBengaluru @santwana99 @compolmlr @CMofKarnataka pic.twitter.com/S4vsGpNeOH

— Divya Cutinho_TNIE (@cutinha_divya) September 28, 2021

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