60 held in connection with Shivamogga violence during religious procession
Bengaluru/Shivamogga (PTI): Twenty-four cases have been registered and 60 people arrested so far in connection with the violence that broke out during a religious procession in the district headquarters town of Shivamogga, police said on Tuesday.
The situation in the Ragi Gudda locality in Shivamogga city, where prohibitory orders were clamped after tension prevailed there, following incidents of stone pelting on Sunday, is now peaceful and under control, police said.
"Regarding the Ragi Gudda incident we have booked 24 FIRs and we have detained 60 people and have arrested them. The situation in the Ragi Gudda area is now peaceful and there are no repercussions of it in the Shivamogga city," Shivamogga Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar told reporters in Shivamogga.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said in Bengaluru: "Everything is under control, there is nothing to worry about....investigation is on...ADGP Law and Order was sent there, he had camped there and is now back....once the investigation is complete they will give a report to me".
Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa, who is also Minister in-charge of Shivamogga district today visited a few houses in Ragi Gudda area that were stoned during Sunday's incident.
Bangarappa said swords that are seen in some of the visuals, allegedly being carried during the procession "are not original and were made out of plastic or cardboard....in my tradition we hold trishula, similarly here, don't link it to violence. In case they were used for violence, police will take action."
Mithun Kumar said the businesses and other activities are going on normally in Shivamogga city.
"Even after the incident, the Eid-Milad procession was held peacefully in the city till 11:30 PM that day. Ragi Gudda area on the outskirts of the Shivamogga city only saw this incident, I was also personally present there, we (police) took steps and brought the situation under control within half-n-hour. The culprits have been arrested," he added.
Noting that there are certain restrictions only in Ragi Gudda area and it will be withdrawn after assessing the situation, the SP said there is no need for any worry, and the culprits will be given the strict punishment.
During the spot visit he came across that stones were pelted on the houses of people belonging to all communities, he said. "The culprits are criminals irrespective of their community, as stone pelting is wrong....there is no need for the innocents to worry. Cases have been registered against those, against whom there is photo and video evidence."
Responding to a question about reports about involvement of "outsiders" and that an Omni van was used by the miscreants, Mithun Kumar said the vehicle has been traced and investigation is on and we have questioned those who used it.
"Let's not speculate on this and jump into any conclusion and create panic among the people, investigation is on and all angles will be looked at," he said.
According to police, an angry mob is said to have hurled stones at a few houses and vehicles and injured several people, including the police, allegedly following rumours that there was a stone pelting on the Eid Milad procession on Sunday evening.
Police officials said they had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the mob.
Earlier on Sunday before the stone pelting incident, there were protests in the Ragi Gudda area over a cutout that was put up as part of the procession, as the police had covered a portion of it, due to "bit controversial (content)", which upset people of a community, police said.
Mithun Kumar and other police officers had reached the spot and held talks with the people to bring the situation under control.
Bangarappa said all those involved in the incident will be dealt with in accordance with law, and appealed to people to maintain peace.
"Police have been given full freedom, they are investigating and will bring the truth out," he said, declining to respond to allegations, speculations, and reports about involvement of outsiders.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
