
KARWAR: The Indian Navy has rubbished media reports of its sailors assaulting fishermen who were allegedly agitating against two Navy personnel, whose vehicle collided with a fisherman’s scooter. It alleged that a sailor was abducted in a four-wheeler, and rescued by his fellow colleagues who gave chase. Now, Uttara Kannada district police is planning to write to naval higher-ups regarding the incident, involving fishermen and staff of INS Kadamba.
The accident at Mudga, near Karwar, on Sunday involved two Naval staff on a bike who rammed Srinivas (50) on his scooter. Both parties sustained minor injuries. The sailors helped the injured fisherman, but things took a turn for the worse and the matter reached Karwar Rural Police.
The sailors lodged a complaint, saying a group of civilians had gathered and there was a scuffle. “The sailors ensured the injured civilian received timely medical treatment. They escorted him to Pikle’s Nursing Home in Karwar... But shortly after the accident, 4-5 civilians gathered and despite the sailors’ efforts to de-escalate the situation, a minor scuffle ensued,” read the complaint, a copy of which is available with TNIE.
“We left the scene, but the civilians pursued us and demanded an additional Rs 50,000 in compensation. My friend was then coerced into a four-wheeler and taken towards Amdalli. He managed to share his live location with friends, who intercepted the vehicle and rescued him,” said Yogesh Kumar, the complainant.
Coordination meet between Navy, fishers?
“The civilians abandoned the vehicle and fled. The incident was promptly reported to local police through the Naval Police, and the vehicle key was handed over to the authorities,” the complainant added. The matter did not end here. On Monday morning, a group of villagers from Amdalli staged a protest and blocked the gate of NCHC Amdalli.
“The protesters demanded action. The situation was addressed by the civil administration and local police. Senior Naval personnel of Naval Base Karwar, the local tahsildar and Deputy SP engaged with the protesters and defused the situation by 12.45pm,” a Navy release said.
While the matter is under investigation, a few media reports blamed Navy personnel for the incident and local politicians also extended support to the agitators. The Navy responded, saying, “A lot of unverified and false statements are being made by reputed media houses. A minor incident occurred in Karwar, mainly to defame the Navy...
The Navy remains committed to maintaining harmonious relations with the local community.” The matter has now reached the Uttara Kannada DC and SP. “There is lot of anger against the Navy in recent days. The SP is contemplating writing to the Navy higher-ups,” a police source sad. SP Narayan is also planning a coordination meeting between fishermen and Navy authorities.