Prohibitory orders in Mangaluru following back-to-back murders
Mangaluru(PTI): Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city following back-to-back murders of two people belonging to different communities in the last couple of days.
Security has been beefed up in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in view of the tense situation, police said on Friday. Schools and colleges in Suratkal, Bajpe, Mulki and Pannambur police station limits will remain closed today.
While BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Nettar was hacked to death on Tuesday night, Mohammed Fazil was murdered by four unknown assailants on Thursday night.
Two residents of Bellare have been arrested in connection with Nettar's murder, investigation is on to nab the assailants of Fazil.
Meanwhile, a large number of people took part in the funeral procession of Fazil here today. The prohibitory orders have been imposed from Thursday night till July 30 morning, Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said.
All liquor shops will remain shut and 19 check posts have been set up including the Karnataka-Kerala border, where all the vehicles will be searched, the official said.
He added that no one will be allowed to roam in the city beyond 10 pm.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gnanendra in a statement condemned the killing of Fazil and said the perpetrators will be brought to book. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Nettar's family members in Mangaluru on Thursday evening and offered their condolences.
The communally sensitive coastal district is tense following the murders in the past few days.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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