Mangaluru pub attack case: all accused walk free due to lack of evidence
Mangaluru: All accused in Amnesia pub attack case were on Monday acquitted due to lack of evidence. As many as 30 persons were accused in this case.
A group of 40 activists allegedly belonging to Sri Ram Sene had barged into the pub "Amnesia – The Lounge" on January 24, 2009, and beat up a group of young women and men, claiming the women were violating traditional Indian values. Two women were hospitalized.
The video of the incident had become one of the most watched clips on YouTube. The state deputy convenor of the Sene, Prasad Attavar, had at the time claimed responsibility for the attack.
The third judicial magistrate of the first class court in Mangaluru cited lack of evidence for the acquittal.
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Congress to contest only 11 out of 36 seats in Mumbai; Political analysts predict tough battle
Mumbai: Out of the 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai, Congress will contest in just 11 seats in the upcoming elections. In the 2019 assembly elections, the party fielded candidates in 30 constituencies, but this time, it has reduced its presence significantly following its alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT). Despite several rounds of discussions led by Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Aslam Shaikh, Congress secured only a few seats under the MVA formula.
The seats allocated to Congress are seen as BJP strongholds, making victory challenging, according to political analysts. Among the 11 constituencies Congress is contesting, four are held by sitting MLAs. Notably, Congress swapped the Bandra East seat with Chandivli, which is held by Shiv Sena (UBT). Additionally, seats like Byculla and Versova, which Congress had shown interest in, were ceded as part of the alliance arrangement.
"This is the fewest seats Congress has contested in decades, indicating its struggles within the seat-sharing dynamics with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP)," said political analysts. Moreover, in Northeast Mumbai, Congress is fielding candidates in only one constituency.
In Mulund, NCP (SP)'s Sangeeta Wagh and Congress’s Rakesh Shetty have filed nominations, raising the possibility of Congress conceding all of Northeast Mumbai if Shetty withdraws. "We aimed to contest in 14-15 seats but were left with just 11, as Shiv Sena (UBT) had already announced candidates in several constituencies. We will, however, uphold the alliance’s spirit to maximise MVA's win," said Gaikwad.
