Purported 'night out' at St Mary’s Island; 7 taken into custody

Udupi: Seven men including the Malpe Beach Development Committee maintenance in-charge Sudhesh Shetty were taken into custody by Coastal Security Police (CSP) who are probing the dusk-to-dawn party held at St Mary’s Island on Saturday, May 9.

The others who were taken into custody along with Sudhesh Shetty are Raghav, Sachin, Panduranga Kunder, Nandakishore, Devanand, and Sachin Kumar.

As per sources, police after being flooded with complaints from the local residents on Saturday midnight rushed to the island and found two cars parked near the dockyard used for anchoring the boats, that ferry tourists to the island.

Reportedly, the men who were found on the island had told police that they had come to the island to take back the materials owned by Malpe Beach Development Committee. They could not return to Malpe owing to the rough sea.

Speaking with this regard CSP Police Superintendent R Chetan said that the seven men had not only violated the lockdown rules, but also the tender regulations.

Chetan had also written a letter to Udupi deputy commissioner, who is also chairman of the Malpe Beach Development Committee, over the action to be initiated against Shetty and his friends.

However, Sudhesh Shetty denied reports on having partied at St Mary’s Island and dismissed it as rumors.

Both St Mary’s Island and Malpe Beach are under the purview of the Beach Development Authority, which, in turn, comes under the jurisdiction of the Udupi deputy commissioner, and entry to the island is prohibited to the public between 7 pm and 7 am every day.