The Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court of Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday acquitted all 39 people who were accused in the 2012 Mangaluru homestay attack case. The ruling, delivered by judge M Kantharaj, was delivered citing a lack of evidence against the accused.
The incident involved members of the Hindu Vigilance Forum storming the Morning Mist Homestay near Padil, Mangaluru on July 28, 2012. The attackers, led by Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader Subhash Padil, claimed they were acting to prevent alleged illicit activities.
During the attack, which was captured by three video journalists, the activists allegedly assaulted 13 degree students, both male and female, who were celebrating the birthday of B Vijay, an employee at an event management firm. The footage, which showed the activists tearing the victims’ clothes, went viral on social media, causing national outrage.
The Mangaluru Rural Police filed a charge sheet against 44 people, initially including journalist Naveen Surinje, who had charges against him withdrawn by the state government on January 4, 2018. Over the years, three of the accused passed away, and one minor was acquitted by the Juvenile Justice Board, leaving 39 defendants to face trial.
Despite testimonies from the complainant, Vijay, and one of the female victims, who detailed the incident in court, the victims were unable to positively identify their assailants.
{{/usCountry}}Despite testimonies from the complainant, Vijay, and one of the female victims, who detailed the incident in court, the victims were unable to positively identify their assailants.
{{/usCountry}}The prosecution presented video clips and photographs as evidence; however, the court deemed them insufficient for conviction.
In his verdict, judge Kantharaj stated that the evidence presented did not conclusively prove the guilt of the accused, leading to their acquittal. The defence team, led by attorneys Shambhu Sharma and Kishore Kumar, emphasised the lack of clear identification and substantial evidence.