Mangaluru City Police mounted an inquiry into Monday night’s disruption by alleged Bajrang Dal activists of a party organised by a few college students in a pub and are likely to take up a case if statements from either the victims or pub personnel lead to initiation of legal process.
“We are inquiring the students who had come to the pub and also the pub personnel. If there are complaints from them, necessary legal action will be taken,” Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar told reporters on July 26.
Around 8 pm on July 25, a group of Bajarang Dal activists came to Recycle Pub, off Balmatta Road, and asked the security personnel about the age of the students partying inside the pub. The security personnel took the matter to the pub manager who, in turn, inquired the students about their age. Soon, the students left the place, Mr. Kumar said.
“So far we haven’t heard of any students being assaulted inside the pub. The bouncer told us that the activists were outside the pub,” Mr. Kumar said. The pub was closed on Tuesday and all personnel at the pub were taken for inquiry.
The commissioner said the pub owner was based in Mumbai. Police have contacted him and are getting access to CCTV footage of the premises. “The footage will reveal more about the incident,“ he said.
If the pub was found to be serving liquor to those aged below 21, the police and excise department will initiate necessary action. Recently, the city police had taken action in this regard against a pub, he said.
No link to assault case
The 30-odd degree students present at the pub have no links with the minor students of a city college who were recently accused of sexually assaulting their two classmates.
“These students are different and have no links with the students accused of sexual assault,” Mr. Kumar said. He claimed as false the reports by a section of media which state that the students at the pub were those accused in the sexual assault case and had come to party as they would be sent to an observation home on July 26.
Mr. Kumar said some of the accused in the sexual assault case were being produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on July 26 where plea is being made by the police to lodge the accused in the observation home.
