Mangaluru police arrest men who assaulted a Muslim boy, his female friend

Dakshina Kannada: A 20-year-old Muslim student along with his female friend became a victim of moral policing here, The News Minute (TNM) reported.

The boy, Mohammed Yasin, was dropping his friend when the incident happened. Both were students of Srinivas College in Mukka, in Mangaluru.

Police have arrested six in connection with the incident, which happened in Surathkal town. The arrested were identified as Prahlad, Prashanth, Guruprasad, Prateesh, Bharath and Sukesh.

Yasin told TNM that his friend was shifting from Mukka to Surathkal. It was around 10 pm, and since the girl couldn't find an auto or bus, he was on his way to drop her with her luggage. He said that two people followed them from Mukka, but he kept telling his friend not to worry. In haste, they entered the wrong flat, but its residents were friendly and told them not to go out.

Yasin said that the men who followed them sought his name and ID, and after that, they assaulted both him and his friend. He said that the flat residents called the police, and the assaulters were taken by the police. He felt scared and alone since he did not speak the assaulter's tongue, but the girl did, and she was talking to them throughout.

The police said that the accused assaulted the youth while threatening the girl and touched her inappropriately. Police added that they were investigating the matter.

When the rising cases of moral policing in Dakshin Kannada were pointed out, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said before that the "responsibility lies with both parties and when sentiments are hurt, there will be actions and reactions".

Till September, 71 incidents of communal policing were reported in Dakshin Kannada in 2021, according to a report compiled based on news reports by the People's Union for Civil Liberties. The report said that aggressive and vocal calls for enacting various legislations to regulate conversions and interfaith marriages are also on the rise here.