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Two held for beating up Muslim men, moral policing in Karnataka
“They assaulted Mohammed Subani (22) and Ibrahim (21) for accompanying a Hindu girl in a cinema theatre in Davanagere on Thursday. The accused also made a video of the assault and shared it on social media. After the video clip went viral, the girl filed a police complaint on Friday,” a police officer said.
The Davanagere Police arrested two people for allegedly assaulting two men from the Muslim community and engaging in moral policing in the city on Sunday, officials familiar with the developments said.
According to the police, the accused have been identified as Doddesh (28) and Lingaraju (25), natives of Davanagere.
Police said Doddesh is a former president of an association of fans of a Kannada actor, and Lingaraju is a pro-Kannada worker.
“They assaulted Mohammed Subani (22) and Ibrahim (21) for accompanying a Hindu girl in a cinema theatre in Davanagere on Thursday. The accused also made a video of the assault and shared it on social media. After the video clip went viral, the girl filed a police complaint on Friday,” a police officer said.
In the complaint, the girl, Soundarya, 21, said that she is studying in the final year of her degree education in Davanagere and had gone to watch a film with her two Muslim classmates on Thursday. However, The accused waylaid them, abused her in the name of caste, and thrashed her.
Based on the complaint, the KTJ Nagara police have registered a case under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 505(2) (publishing news and stories concerning a conflict between police personnel from various departments), and 354 (criminal force on a woman to outrage modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act 1989 and are further investigating the case.
“Soon after receiving the complaint from the victim, we have arrested the two accused. In the circulated video, which is proof of the crime, the accused thrashed the men and indulged in moral policing,” said Davanagere SP Dr Arun.
The incident occurred at Geethanjali Theatre in Davanagere City, and police are verifying whether the accused were involved in any other moral policing incidents earlier.
The police are also verifying the involvement of any other organisations or individuals in the incident.
He said the department is committed to preventing moral policing incidents by taking stringent legal action against the accused.
On June 5, chief minister Siddaramaiah chaired a meeting with police officers in Davanagere and directed them to prevent moral policing incidents.
The state has also formed an anti-communal wing, and the unit is operational in Dakshina Kannada district, where moral policing incidents are high.
