Puttur gang rape: Left forums protest

Mangaluru: Like-minded organisations including Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students Federation of India (SFI), Adivasi Samanvaya Samiti, Dalitha Hakkugala Horata Samiti, Dalitha Sangharsha Samiti and other forums protested here on Friday, demanding stringent action against the accused involved in the Puttur gang rape incident and the increased cases of rampant drug abuse in the region.
Addressing protesters near the deputy commissioner’s office here, DYFI Dakshina Kannada district secretary Santhosh Bajal said the district is slowly turning into a market for drug peddlers. “Students in the district have easy access to drugs and this leads to various crimes. People’s representatives have been ignoring such a major issue. The district administration and police should take stringent measures to check the sale of drugs,” he urged.
He added that a large number of crimes reported in the district are committed under the influence of drugs. “It is not possible to reduce the crime rate without putting an end to drug peddling,” he added.
‘Accused have no link to ABVP’
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) condemned the gang rape of a student of a private college in Puttur and urged for the harshest of harsh punishment for the accused.
“There are reports that the five accused are active participants in ABVP activities. We confirm that the accused do not have any affiliation with ABVP and are not even members of our organisation. The names of the accused are being linked to the ABVP on social media,” stated Harsha Narayan, state secretary, ABVP Karnataka.
“We urge authorities to take action against miscreants who are involved in spreading rumours on social media and block their social media accounts,” he added.
NCW member’s visit
Member of National Commission for Women Shyamala S Kundar will visit and meet the gang rape survivor and also superintendent of police, Dakshina Kannada.
Shyamala is expected to arrive in Mangaluru on July 8. Karnataka state women's commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Bai will visit Puttur on Saturday.