Udupi: Communal tension in Malpe on alleged cattle trafficking

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 20 Mar 2013: On the allegation by the members of Hindu organizations that a resident of Bengre in Malpe  had kept cattle for slaughtering in the premises of his house trouble erupted on Tuesday March 19 and on Wednesday March 20, 2013 whcih created considerable worry to the law enforcing authorities.

 

Nearly 60 people surrounded B K Javed’s house at Bengre at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday, and accused him that he had kept cattle with an intention to slaughter them.

 

Acting on the complaint of the memebrs of the Hindu organization, Malpe police arrived at the spot and questioned Javed. Circle inspector Maruthi Nayak speaking to the media  said that on not receiving any satisfactory answer, including information about from  where he had brought the cattle,  the police took the cattle into their possession and sent them to Neelavar cattle house.

 

 

However, the matter did not end there. On Wednesday afternoon, over a hundred people from both communities gathered at the spot and a clash erupted. Stones were pelted at Javed’s house and some of the agitators even entered his house and smashed the TV set and furniture. Javed’s wife and aged mother who were in the house were frightened. Sources said that the stones were pelted at surrounding houses also.

 

Police rushed to the spot and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The situation is now under control but tight security has been deployed at the spot to prevent further trouble.

 

One of the locals identified as Prasad was taken into questioning as he tried to enter Javed’s house.

 

DySP Prabhudev Mane, four inspectors, six sub-inspectors, DAR vehicles, and rapid intervention vehicle with altogether around 100 policemen have been deployed to monitor the situation.

 

Case has not been registered yet as the situation is now peaceful, the DySP said.

 

The Udupi Zilla Muslim Okkutta condemned the incident in a press note and demanded justice. The association alleged that Shiva Prasad, Prashanth, Jayapalan, Harsharaj of Hoode, Gangadhar from Kodi Bengre were involved in the incident.

 

It seems that as the Karnataka state assembly elections are on card, the groups with vested interest are bent upon creating communal divide in order to to polarise the voters. The attack on the Christian prayer group in Kattigneri near Moodubelle and attack on two youths of a community on the allegation that they were speaking to the girl of another community near Kaup few days ago has created unwarranted communal tension in the coastal region.