One dead, 70 injured in Mangalore violence

Mangalore, Oct 7 (UNI) One person was butchered to death at Bejai in the city late last night and curfew along with shoot-at-sight orders, imposed for 48 hours since last evening in Ullal, Konaje and Mangalore Rural police station limits, was today extended to the city and Mangalore sub-division following fresh incidents of group clashes, taking the total number of injured to 70.

Police sources said the deceased was identified as Abdul Gafoor (26) from Sullya, serving as an Imam in a Masjid in Bejai. A group of persons who followed Gafoor to the Masjid assaulted him with lethal weapons. Gafoor was immediately rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead today.

Violence spread to Belthangady taluk in the trouble-torn Dakshina Kannada district, where miscreants burnt three shops in Ujire.

Despite curfew, a group of people belonging to a community forced entry into a house at Bajal-Fisal Nagar last evening and attacked three members of a family with lethal weapons. The three injured have been admitted to the Government Wenlock hospital.

Meanwhile, the IGP (Western range) Satyanarayana Rao told UNI today that over 70 persons have been injured in the violence and about 30 shops damaged. With curfew in force, the overall situation in the trouble-hit areas was under control and remained peaceful, he added.

He ruled out the possibility of holding a peace meeting until normalcy was restored in the district.

However, the situation still remained volatile in Mangalore and surrounding places. All the roads in the city wore a deserted look, with no vehicles plying on the roads and fear-stricken people preferring to remain indoors. Police contingents taking out flag marches were the only activity.

Police have rounded up 200 people in connection with the violent incidents.

Director General of Police (DGP) B S Sial, who arrived here from Bangalore this morning, held discussions with top officials and reviewed the situation. He visited some of the trouble-torn areas in the district.

Mr Sial expressed unhappiness over the district police's handling of the issue and said curfew had been imposed only as a preventive measure and shoot at sight ovders would be used only as the last resort.

Violence broke out in this coastal district following an incident of a mini lorry, allegedly carrying cows to a slaughter house, hitting a jeep at Kudroli in the city limits on Wednesday nigh.

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