M'luru: Only preventive action on toll gate protesters, say police

The Mangaluru city police on Sunday clarified that certain preventive proceedings have been carried out on some individuals in the light of some provocative statements made by them ahead of the proposed ‘siege’ of the toll gate at Surathkal on October 18.

The clarification comes in the wake of criticism about the late-night operation by the police on Saturday by serving notices to activists demanding the removal of the toll gate.

City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said some major participants of the agitation have been served notices. They are asked to appear before the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) who is an executive magistrate under 107 CrPc, he said.

“Privacy of every individual is to be respected and more so for women. I have asked ACP North Mahesh Kumar to enquire into the issue and submit a report to me,” he said.

Kumar said Mangaluru police have always facilitated every democratic and peaceful protest or agitation of any individual organisations or party.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Prathibha Kulai, whose house was also visited by the police at midnight, lashed out at the district administration and the BJP for the police action. In a Facebook post, she said it is a shame and disgrace that the administration is trying to crush the agitation planned for October 18. “I respect the law of the land. Last night at 11.45 pm, five police personnel of Surathkal station landed at my home in Kulai which has been captured on a CCTV camera. My 74-year-old mother-in-law was terrified to see the police behaviour,” she said, adding that the notice was not taken as she was not at home. “I am a social worker and not a terrorist. Can anyone come knocking on the door of a house at midnight to serve notice to a woman?” she wrote in the post.