Party@island: Coastal cops seek action against 7

Udupi: The Coastal Security Police (CSP) has urged Udupi DC G Jagadeesha to act against seven people who violated lockdown norms by spending time on St Mary’s Island on Saturday. Jagadeesha is ex-officio chairman of Malpe Beach Development Authority that also takes care of maintenance and tourist activities at the island, 7km off Malpe coast. The island is off limits for people for 12 hours from 7pm.
In a report submitted to the DC, R Chethan, SP, CSP, said that seven persons were found on the island past 7pm when CSP personnel visited the island following a complaint by Yogish Salian, councillor of Vadabandeshwara ward of Udupi CMC. Sudesh Shetty, manager of the authority, was present in the island along with Devanand, Nandakishore K R, Sachin Y Kumar, Panduranga P Kunder, Sachin and Raghava.
They had allegedly gone to the beach on Hanuma Vithobha, the boat bearing registration No. IND KA-02 MO-1877. Chethan told TOI that all seven were then brought to CSP station at Malpe and questioned. “I have requested the Udupi DC to take action against them for violation of tender conditions (pertaining to beach and island maintenance) and for staying on the island when lockdown was in force,” the SP said.
Jagadeesha said he will go through the report submitted by CSP SP and initiate action against Sudesh and others. Sudesh had told police inspector of CSP Malpe station that they had gone to the island to dismantle equipment prior to monsoon, but could not return in time to the mainland due to high tide. However, the island showed telltale signs of a party, not lending credence to their claim of being there officially.
Their presence and the alleged party would have gone unnoticed had some people on the shore not noticed electric lights on the island around 9.30pm. When the lights were on at the same spot around 11pm, they informed Malpe police and CSP. The presence of cars of Sudesh and another belonging to Nirmithi Kendra at the Malpe jetty confirmed doubts of police on the information received.