Gujarat Giants defeat RCB to secure season's maiden win in WPL
New Delhi, Mar 6: Laura Wolvaardt and skipper Beth Mooney struck attacking fifties as Gujarat Giants notched up a 19-run win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women's Premier League here on Wednesday.
Opting to bat, Gujarat Giants got off to splendid start with Mooney (85 not out) and Wolvaardt (76) putting together 140 runs for the opening wicket.
There was some batting collapse but Mooney stood firm as Gujarat posted 199/5.
Royal Challengers Bangalore looked out of sorts and were restricted to 180/7. It was first win of the season for Gujarat.
Smriti Mandhana (24) and Sabbhineni Meghana (4) got out inside seven overs and their No 6 batter Georgia Wareham provided some late fireworks in her 22-ball 48 but it proved insufficient.
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Giants Women 199/5; 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 76, Beth Mooney 85 not out).
Royal Challengers Bangalore Women 180/8; 20 overs (Georgia Wareham 48; Ashleigh Gardner 2/23).
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CPI(M) alleges attempt to cover up Kudupu mob lynching by Mangaluru Commissionerate Police
Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Committee of CPI(M) has alleged that the Mangaluru Commissionerate Police is deliberately attempting to cover up the recent mob lynching incident that occurred in Kudupu. The CPI(M) claims that the FIR registered in the case itself serves as strong evidence of this attempt.
The incident took place at Samrat Ground, Kudupu, around 3 PM on April 27, where an unidentified person was reportedly lynched by a mob. Within an hour, the information had reached the Vamanjoor Police Station. By approximately 5 PM, police officers arrived at the scene, where they found the victim’s body, which had been brutally assaulted. The police were already aware of the full details by then, and the Commissioner was also informed.
However, for various reasons, including the involvement of key accused individuals like Ravindra Nayak and Manjunath, both said to be close aides of local BJP leaders, the police allegedly decided to weaken or even suppress the case. The fear of national backlash and reputational damage to the Commissioner reportedly contributed to this decision.
As part of this cover-up, the police allegedly made Manjunath, one of the primary accused in the mob lynching, file a complaint reporting the discovery of an "unidentified body" and registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR). Even though the police were fully aware of the incident, they issued a Lookout Circular suggesting the victim might have died due to substance abuse or after a fall, downplaying visible injuries as “minor scratches,” said Muneer Katipalla, Secretary of the CPI(M)'s Dakshina Kannada District Committee.
When media personnel approached the Police Commissioner for information and clarification, they were simply told to "wait and not believe in rumours." The Commissioner remained silent for 36 hours. It was only after political leaders and activists raised their voices on April 28, and the issue started trending on social media, that the police agreed to conduct a post-mortem. Based on the report, they finally registered an FIR under murder and mob lynching sections—32 hours after the incident.
The second complainant in the FIR was Keshav, reportedly a close associate of the same communal gang involved in the lynching. According to his statement, the victim was allegedly shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” while running toward the field, which prompted Manjunath, Sachin, and others to believe he was anti-national. They chased him, assaulted him with sticks and kicks, and killed him. Keshav further claimed he tried to stop them but was threatened and left the spot. He only learned later that Manjunath had filed the police complaint.
The CPI(M) has raised serious questions about the entire sequence of events within those critical 32 hours. Why was the initial complaint filed by one of the accused? Why did the police not take suo moto action? Why was a weak UDR filed despite full knowledge of the lynching? Why did the Commissioner remain silent for 36 hours? And why did the second FIR rely on a communal narrative involving “Pakistan” only after public pressure mounted?
Muneer Katipalla demanded a high-level probe into the conduct of the police. He said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a senior, impartial IPS officer from outside the district must be formed. He also demanded disciplinary action, including suspension, against Vamanjoor SHO Shivaprasad and Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal for dereliction of duty and alleged complicity in the attempted cover-up.
Muneer Katipalla warned that unless these demands are met and justice is ensured, public trust in law enforcement will continue to erode.
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