Tension prevailed in Hubballi on Friday after four policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, and few Muslim leaders, sustained injuries when a group of people pelted stones at them after the police took exception to an unlawful gathering before a place of worship.
The police took several people, including women, into questioning in connection with the incident and used force to disperse the crowd. A case has been registered at Town Police Station.
The incident took place near a mosque at Aralikatti Colony on Mantur Road. When many youngsters and women gathered near it, police personnel on patrol asked them to disperse. However, when this did not yield any result and the gathering turned hostile, the policemen called for backup.
But by the time additional forces arrived, the men and women alleged that they were not being allowed to offer prayers and blocked Mantur Road. They also allegedly started pelting stones at the police personnel, injuring four of them, including ASI M.K. Kale. Muslim leaders Altaf Hallur, Mohammad Yousuf Khairati and others who tried to intervene and sort out the issue, but they also ended up bearing the brunt of the crowd.
The police caned some of them to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. Additional forces were subsequently deployed in the locality as a precaution.
In Shivamogga
Meanwhile, in Shivamogga, the police booked cases against 77 persons found offering prayers at a mosque in Kesuvinakatte village on Friday, in violation of the prohibitory orders enforced to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Acting on a tip-off that a large number of people had gathered at the mosque, the Kumsi police visited the spot. All 77 at the mosque were subjected to medical screening. According to the police, of the 77, seven had fever and were immediately sent to McGann Hospital to be quarantined. The throat and nasal swabs of all seven have been sent for testing to the Viral Diagnostic and Research Laboratory at Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences.
