Six arrested for assaulting two men in Dakshina Kannada: Police
The Dakshina Kannada police have arrested six people in connection with assault on two men in Kadaba Taluk on Friday, an official familiar with the incident said on Sunday
The Dakshina Kannada police have arrested six people in connection with assault on two men in Kadaba Taluk on Friday, an official familiar with the incident said on Sunday.
Police have identified the arrested accused as Puneeth, Raju, Prasad, Kishore, Bhavith, and Ranjith. Senior officers said more information will be provided after interrogation of the suspects who will be presented before the magistrate on Monday.
The arrests and registration of an FIR came after a group of men allegedly waylaid and assaulted two bedsheet salesmen on suspicion that they had molested a woman. Separate cases were registered against the mob and the duo, Dakshina Kannada SP Sonawane Rishikesh said.
The salesmen, identified as Rameezuddin and his relative Mohammed Rafik, are in their late 20s, said police.
“We conducted a probe into the case after the video of the assault surfaced. As per our investigation, the assault was a result of a complaint by a woman alleging these two men tried to molest her,” said Sonawane, adding, “After the woman raised an alarm, some men waylaid the car (in which the duo was travelling) and attacked them.”
The video, which police confirmed was that of the incident, purportedly shows two men lying in the mud, stripped to undergarments and assaulted with sticks and iron rods by the mob.
The district police have registered a case under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 323 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The two men have alleged that their stock of bedsheets was destroyed by the mob and they suffered cuts, wounds, blood clots and scratches.
“They are undergoing treatment at a hospital,” the SP added.
Hours after the incident, a complaint was lodged against the two men for allegedly molesting a woman. “It alleged that the two men went to one of the houses for selling bedsheets, spoke to the woman in a vulgar manner and tried to molest her. We have registered a case of outraging the modesty of a woman (Section 354) with the Kadaba police,” the officer added.
Police said the two men, in their defence, said an argument had ensued with the woman over price of the bedsheets, which led to an alternation. After they returned to Bedraje, Kaniyoor at about 2pm, the mob attacked them.
