A video clip showing Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, ‘threatening’ Mangaluru East Police Inspector Maruti Nayak after the ‘Mangaluru Chalo’ protest meeting, went viral on Thursday.
It showed the MP ‘threatening’ the police inspector saying he [Mr. Kateel] would call for a bandh if the release of workers were delayed. Mr. Kateel told The Hindu that he went to Mr. Nayak after learning that the workers, including women, had been detained for three hours, without food or water.
Mr. Nayak told him that the activists would be released after completing the formalities. “Even after completion of the formalities, he refused to release them. This angered me and I took him to task,” he said.
Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh told The Hindu that the delay in releasing the activists was because of time taken to finish arrest formalities. “The crowd in the city disbursed only around 2.30 p.m. and then the Inspector rushed to the hall to complete formalities.” When Mr. Kateel arrived at the hall, the formalities related to 15 persons were pending while 50 had been completed, he said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India State president Muneer Katipalla alleged that the BJP activists, who marched from Ambedkar Circle to the office of Deputy Commissioner tore apart banners and a flex related to paying homage to journalist Gauri Lankesh and DYFI State convention scheduled in the city later this month. Mr. Katipalla said the BJP activists have damaged 17 banners and a flex installed between Hampankatta and A.B. Shetty Circle.