Amid continued efforts by the police to identify and bring to book assailants of Fazil, who was murdered in Surathkal on the night of July 28, his funeral was conducted at Mangalapete with religious rituals at the nearby masjid.
Police, however, did not allow the body to be taken in a procession to avoid any trouble even as they have detained 12 persons since July 28 night who were moving around suspiciously, in violation of Section 144.
City Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar told reporters that the detained persons were present in public places without any valid reasons amid enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Police will verify their antecedents and take necessary action.
While social media was abuzz with messages attributing several reasons for young Fazil’s murder, Mr. Kumar said they were yet to zero in on the specific reason for the crime and also the perpetrators. As a precautionary measure, the administration has clamped Section 144 CrPC in Panambur, Surathkal, Mulki and Bajpe police station limits, all identified as sensitive areas since the murder was committed.
Twenty-two year-old Fazil, a resident of Mangalapete in Surathkal was hacked to death with sharp weapons by unidentified miscreants who attacked him near a cloth shop in Surathkal town on July 28 night. The murder, committed days after the killing of Praveen Nettaru, a BJYM worker in Bellare on July 26, has further intensified the situation in the region.
Pramod Muthalik detained
Meanwhile, Mangaluru City Police detained Sri Rama Sene National President Pramod Muthalik at Hejamady, on the border of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, when he was trying to enter the Mangaluru City limits on July 29 morning from Udupi.
Mr. Kumar said he, as the additional district magistrate, had passed orders under Section 144 (2) CrPC prohibiting entry of Mr. Muthalik into the commissionerate limits on July 28, following similar action by the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner for DK police district. The administration had genuine reasons to believe that Mr. Muthalik’s presence in the region, in the wake of Praveen and Fazil’s murders, could further exacerbate an already tense situation as he was known to deliver provocative speeches.
Hence, he has been restricted from entering the Mangaluru Commissionerate for seven days, Mr. Kumar said in the order.
The Commissioner said the detention was following his failure to comply with the restriction order. He would be let out after following due procedure under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
