Mangaluru Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru Police Commissionerate till the midnight of June 27. It is as a precaution to prevent any untoward incidents in the commissionerate in view of tension on the outskirts of the city following two group clashes and a murder near BC Road in the last 26 days. With this, prohibitory orders would be in force in the entire Dakshina Kannada. Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha had extended the prohibitory orders in Bantwal, Puttur, Belthangady and Sullia taluks for the same period.
Tension prevailed in some parts of Bantwal taluk represented in the Assembly by B. Ramanath Rai, Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology and also in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, on Wednesday after an autorickshaw driver Ashraf Kalayi (35), an activist of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), was hacked to death at Benjanapadavu, on the outskirts of the city.
Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) P. Harishekaran, who is overseeing the investigation of the murder, said that the police were working on some clues. “We are questioning suspects. We will shortly have a breakthrough in the case. All those involved in the murder and those who have conspired will be arrested,” he told The Hindu . As many as four police teams were working on the case. Meanwhile, C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy took charge as the new Superintendent of Police from Bhushan Gulabrao Borase on Thursday. Soon after taking charge, Mr. Reddy rushed to Bantwal to oversee security situation.
While shops and commercial establishments in Farangipet, BC Road and Kalladka on the National Highway 75 opened on Thursday, security was tightened in Bantwal.
K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, Chikkamagaluru, was among the officers on patrolling duty in Bantwal on Wednesday.
Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Mohan, who arrived in Mangaluru on Thursday, told reporters that there was heavy presence of police personnel in the district.
Apart from personnel from the district, additional policemen from Udupi, Karwar and Chikkamagaluru have been deployed in Bantwal and other sensitive areas in Dakshina Kannada. Additional Superintendents of Police from Karwar and Chikkamagaluru and Deputy Superintendents of Police from Karwar, Chikkamagalaru and Udupi have been called for bandobust duty, he said.
Mr. Mohan said that 12 platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police and six platoons of the District Armed Reserve have been deployed to maintain law and order.
