Mangaluru: Police ban men riding pillion, retract following social media outrage

MANGALURU: The Mangaluru city police on Thursday issued an order banning men from riding pillion in two-wheelers. However, the police took back the decision following public outrage on social media.

The order was issued in a bid to what the police claimed as maintaining law and order in the region in the wake of the recent murders. The region was rocked by two murders. A BJP functionary Praveen Nettaru (22) was brutally murdered in Dakshina Kannada on the night of July 26. Following this, Mohammed Fazil was hacked to death on July 28 in Surathkal.

Meanwhile, after a review meeting of police officers,  ADGP (L&O) Alok Kumar said that the meeting decided to ban male pillion riders for a few days in the district. He claimed that such measures were taken in some parts of North India and Wayanad in Kerala following communal murders in order to prevent miscreants from indulging in wrongdoing.

Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashikumar also issued an order to this effect at 4.05 pm. It said male pillion riders are banned between 6 pm to 6 am from August 5 to 8. However, it said the order does not apply to children, women and senior citizens. Soon, the news triggered public outrage on social media with many calling the decision 'nonsense'. At 4.45 pm, the police commissioner withdrew the order in 'public interest'.