Following objections by local people at the Delta Beach at Kodibengre in Udupi district, the police sent a group of six youth back to their homes on Wednesday. After the incident, the police have deployed a platoon of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) at Kodibengre and a District Armed Reserve (DAR) unit at Hoode as a precautionary measure.
Additional Superintendent of Police Kumara Chandra told The Hindu that three women from three different communities went to the beach with three men belonging to a particular community. However, local people objected to their being on the beach.
Meanwhile, the police, who received information about the incident, rushed to the spot and informed the parents of the youths involved. Some parents came to the beach, while others came to the Malpe Police Station and took their wards back to their homes. “No complaint has been booked by either those who went to the beach or by those who objected to it,” he said.
The group of youths, which visited the beach, were friends from their school days. The group had earlier celebrated the birthday of one of the members of their group and then they visited the beach in the evening around 5 p.m., he said.
The police did not give out the names of any persons involved in the matter. Asked if any Hindutva groups were behind the objections against the youth, Mr. Chandra said that the objection was by local people only. The grouse of the localites was that people came from other places and created nuisance on the beach, he said.
Meanwhile, a police officer said that a platoon of KSRP and a DAR unit had been stationed at Kodibengre and Hoode areas, respectively. “This has been done purely as a precautionary measure,” he said.
