In moral policing case, seven arrested for assaulting three students in Mangaluru

Karnataka police have arrested seven persons for allegedly assaulting three students, who were seen with girls of a different faith at a public beach.

Karnataka police have arrested as many as seven individuals for allegedly assaulting a group of three students, who were seen with girls of a different faith at a public beach in Mangaluru.

In a classic case of moral policing, the three students were thrashed for being seen with girls of a different faith. (@HateDetectors/Twitter)

The incident happened on Thursday evening at the Someshwar beach, Karnataka police said. The three paramedical students are natives of neighbouring Kerala and sustained injuries after being attacked by the gang. The three girls were their college mates, according to police.

READ | After Siddaramaiah's ‘no moral policing’ order, 2 held for harassing interfaith couple in Karnataka

"Today, around 7.20 pm, a group of six friends asked for the details of the male students and then beat up the three boys at Someshwar beach," an officer said.

“The gang allegedly attacked the boy students after they were found in the company of girls from another religion,” another policeman said. "We reached the spot and shifted the victims to the hospital," The commissioner said. An FIR was filed based on a complaint regarding the incident.

Cops had formed two teams to nab the attackers. Further investigation is underway and the arrested persons are being questioned.

This comes after the newly-formed Congress government in the southern state announced that moral policing will not be tolerated. CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar had earlier directed officials to take strict action against “hooligans” who disturb harmony in society and declared that no moral policing will be encouraged.

READ | Police: Four held for moral policing in Dakshina Kannada

“No moral policing will be encouraged in Karnataka, and we will be promoting friendly policing," DK Shivakumar had said. The coastal district of Dakshina Kannada has seen frequent incidents of moral policing and religiously-motivated murders last year.