Homestay attackers to be booked under Goonda Act'

Bangalore / Mangalore, August 1: Home Minister R Ashoka on Tuesday said the State government will book the accused in the homestay attack case in Mangalore under the Goonda Act, and it will not show any mercy to anybody while taking action.

In Mangalore, police arrested three more men in connection with the attack on students at a homestay in Padil on Saturday, taking the total number of arrested to 15. The 12 men arrested earlier were remanded in judicial custody till August 13.

“We are in the process of identifying the habitual offenders among the attackers and there is no hesitation to book them under the Goonda Act,” Ashoka said in the Legislative Council. He said the government was committed to taking serious action against the guilty in the case.

He said the “Morning Mist” homestay, where the incident took place, was being run illegally, and it had no permission from the district administration. The government is planning to enact legislation to regulate the functioning of homestays. In a detailed debate that stretched up to six hours, members in the Council, especially women cutting across the party lines, demanded that the State government punish the attackers without mercy.

While Congress leader Motamma asked the government to “castrate the culprits”, Bharathi Shetty (BJP) urged the government to “chop off hands” of men who molested women. JD(S) leader Nanaiah wondered whether Dakshina Kannada was a “separate kingdom just like Bellary used to be” under the Reddy brothers.

“We want to know where is the remote control which operates organisations like Hindu Jagarana Vedike and what is the power behind them?” he said. Ever since the BJP came to power in the State, such incidents have been happening regularly, he added.

Leader of the Opposition in the Council S R Patil said the local police and the administration were hand in glove with outfits like Hindu Jagarana Vedike and such attacks were well-planned and executed every now and then.

Three days after the attack, the parents of one of the girls have taken her to their native place in Gujarat. A friend of the victim said she had left for Gujarat and she may discontinue studies in Mangalore.

Another female victim, who was slapped by one of the vigilantes, has suffered an injury in her ear drums. “Though she did not realise the injury for the first two days, a medical check-up has confirmed that her ear drums have been perforated,” said her parent.

NCW?team to meet victims

The National Commission for Women will send a team to Mangalore to probe the attack on youth by a bunch of ruffians at a homestay in Mangalore.

Mamata Sharma, chairperson of the Commission, told reporters on Tuesday that the team would meet the victims and their family members in Mangalore next week.

Though the Commission did not receive any complaints, it has sought a detailed report on the incident from the State Director General of Police, based on newspapers reports.