Police to conduct flag march in Dakshina Kannada dist tomorrow

Mangalore, Oct 7 (UNI) Police would conduct flag marches in curfew imposed areas of Mangalore city, Ullal and Bantwal towns tomorrow to maintain law and order, Karnataka Director General of Police B S Sial said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said six platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), one platoon of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), two platoons of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) from neighbouring Chikmagalur district and 200 police officers and constables from Mysore would be deployed tomorrow to maintain law and order, in addition to the already deployed 27 KSRP and 13 District Armed Reserve police platoons.

Mr Sial said he had asked the police on duty to take stringent action against miscreants indulging in violence, resort to severe lathicharge and told the police officials to issue shooting orders without any consideration if the situation so warranted.

He said the curfew would be in force till 1630 hrs tomorrow and further extension be considered after reviewing the situation. The district administration was also considering to relax the curfew for two hours tomorrow morning to enable people to buy essential goods and groceries. However, this would depend on the situation tonight.

The DGP said with the arrest of three more persons today, the total number of arrests in connection with the violent incidents had gone up to 180, in which several leaders were also included.

Declining to give any details of these leaders, he said after questioning them, suitable action would be taken against the leaders. Besides, 127 preventive arrests had also been made and 72 people injured in violent incidents during the past three days.

Mr Sial said barring two petty incidents, the situation in the trouble-hit areas remained peaceful and under control. The district administration had also made arrangements to transport air and rail passengers to Bajpe airport and Mangalore railway station respectively.

He said a small incident at Kudroli on Wednesday night had led to violent incidents in some parts of the district. Ruling out the illegal transportation of cattle to a slaughter house as the main cause for eruption of violence, he said other factors were also involved in this which needed to be analysed.

Earlier, the DGP visited some of the violence-hit areas in Ullal, Thokkottu, Kuttarupadavu, Derlakatte, Pajir and Someshwar Cross. He told mediapersons at Ullal that about 94 cases have been registered.

He neither dismissed nor admitted the role of SIMI in the communal clashes.

UNI MA RS-GD HS BD2256