Mangalore, Mar 10: Bantwal town police arrested four persons on Sunday in connection with Congress and BJP workers clash at Kalladka.
Guruvappa, Poovappa Tailor, Keshava and Mithun are the arrested and the police are on the lookout for more.
They have been remanded in judicial custody for 15 days. Superintendent of police Sharanappa SD, said that four teams all headed by inspectors has been formed to nab remaining accused.
He said there were 20 to 25 suspects. “We will only make arrests based on scientific evidence gathered through video and other means. We do not want innocents to be harassed,'' he added.
Meanwhile the situation continued to be peaceful after police clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC for three days and rushed in additional forces as reinforcement. Heavy police presence was deployed at Kaikamba near Bantwal where uroos was in progress.
On Saturday trouble started at a Samarasya Sabha organized by Golthamajalu zone of Panemangalore Block Congress Committee at Kalladka, 30 km from the district headquarters here.
The senior leadership of the Congress, including minister for forest, environment, ecology, and DK district in-charge B Ramanath Rai, KPCC secretary Ivan D'Souza, zilla panchayat member Chandraprakash Shetty were among those present at this roadside meeting.
Eyewitnesses said when the ZP member criticised RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for his intention to create unrest in the district, activists of pro-Hindu organizations and BJP workers rushed to the area and demanded that the authorities immediately stop the speech.
This enraged Congress workers who initially entered in to a verbal duel with their political rivals. This duel turned violent when both groups resorted to stone pelting on the other.
The political rivalry turned communal and group belonging to one community targeted a jewellery store owned by a member of another community. Its owner has estimated the loss at Rs. 1.5 lakh, and also lodged a complaint with the police.
Four cases were lodged at the Bantwal Town Police Station, cases pertaining to setting four bikes, one multi-purpose vehicle on fire and damage to another car, apart from assault cases from both sides involved in the politically and communally-incited violence.
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