Bengaluru: Nov 28: Home Minister G Parameshwara has submitted to the House that around 5,000 to 6,000 members belonging to various organisations in Kerala and other places had descended on Kodagu on November 10 to take out processions to mark Tipu Sultan birth anniversary celebrations.
In his reply to the Legislative Council on the law and order discussion, Parameshwara said these persons were members of outfits such as the Social Democratic Party of India, the Popular Front of India and Tipu Fans Association.
The minister said a few supporters of Tipu Jayanti started pelting stones the members of Hindu organisations with stones near the district hospital in Madikeri and VHP leader D Kuttappa was found lying in a pool of blood. Efforts to revive him went in vain. The police have taken five people into judicial custody following a complaint by Kuttappa’s son.
The minister said a Muslim youth, Shahul Hamid, was attacked by miscreants while he was returning to his village after participating in the Tipu jayanthi celebrations. It was only after he was brought to Apollo Hospital in Mysuru did it come to light that he had sustained a bullet injury. Hamid breathed his last on November 11.
Following the incident, three persons - Kantakaryappa, Apputta, Ravi Ponnamotte - and others have been arrested Parameshwara defended his government stating that sufficient precautionary measures were taken to ensure there was no communal violence.
The incident is being probed by Mysuru Deputy Commissioner C Shikha.
On the BJP’s allegations that the residents of Kodagu were being harassed by the police by “forcefully” confiscating firearms, Parameshwara said as Hamid was killed with a .32 revolver, the police had confiscated 93 revolvers from those possessing weapons of the same calibre. However, the Forensic Sciences Laboratory later furnished a report stating that it was a .22 calibre bullet that had killed Hamid. Following this, 71 weapons were returned to the owners.
The minister said one Rashid Munna Alandar sustained injuries in Afzalpur in Kalaburagi on the day, when the RSS and other Hindu outfits resorted to stone pelting. As many as 15 cases were reported in Hassan on November 12, when right-wing organisations took out bike rallies shouting slogans against Tipu Jayanti celebrations.
The police have arrested 10 persons in connection with the murder of Prashanth Poojary. The Bajrang Dal activist was killed in broad daylight at Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada district on October 9. Lookout notices have been issued to other absconding suspects.
Also read: Madikeri violence: Cause of Kuttappa’s death yet to be ascertained
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