A 20-member group reportedly assaulted two students from Mangalore Institute of Fire and Safety Engineering near the Bhagawan Mahaveer (Pumpwell) Junction here on Thursday. One student has been admitted to a private hospital with injury on his head and hands. The group alleged that the victims had taken photographs of their female friends during a college function.
The group reportedly attacked Kalandar (18), Azmal (18) and their four friends when they were on their way to a bus stop from the institute.
The group managed to catch Kalandar and assaulted him with sticks and a knife. Kalandar suffered a knife injury, the police said. Azmal was hit by a stone, when he tried to run away from the group.
The four others managed to escape.
Kalandar, who is admitted in hospital, said that he came to the support of his classmate, who had been repeatedly threatened by a set of his college mates for taking pictures during Teachers Day celebrations in the college.
“They threatened me and others near Pumpwell Circle,” he said.
On Thursday, Kalandar and his five friends came out of the college to have tea at a wayside stall around noon. “I suspected that we were being followed by a certain group and hence, we moved fast towards the junction,” he said. Mr. Kalandar said that a group of persons came in a vehicle and joined those who were following them. “I was surrounded and hit with heavy sticks, stone and knife,” he said.
Kalandar’s friends, who managed to escape, returned a few minutes later and took their injured friend to hospital. “We do not know to which group the assaulters belonged. But it was certainly instigated by those students who threatened us,” Mr. Azmal said.
The Mangalore Rural Police have registered a case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code. Some of the persons allegedly involved in the attack were being questioned. Police Commissioner R. Hithendra said that victims of the attack have not named any specific group for the attack.