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MLA’s daughter kidnapped, freed

Mangalore Bureau

Vigilante group objects to her talking to a Muslim boy on a bus

Manjeshwar MLA Kunhambu in Mangalore on Friday after his daughter was kidnapped by vigilantes belonging to a Hindutva group.

MANGALORE: A Hindu girl and a Muslim boy found talking to each other on a bus, were abducted allegedly by a Hindutva vigilante group and harassed before they were released here on Friday.

The girl, Shruthi, a II PU student of St. Aloysius College, is the daughter of CPI(M) MLA from Manjeshwar, Kerala, C.K. Kunhambu. She was returning to her hostel in the city after visiting her parents in Kasaragod.

Mr. Kunhambu said Shruthi and the boy, Shabeeb, a resident of Kasaragod, were forcibly dragged out of a private bus at Mahaveer Circle and were made to sit in an autorickshaw allegedly by the Hindutva activists. After an hour-long ride they were made to alight at a place where a few families were residing, according to Mr. Kunhambu.

He told presspersons at the residence of one of his friends here that the activists allegedly questioned his daughter for speaking to a Muslim boy. He alleged that his daughter had to “beg” and “touch their feet” to secure her release. She was released only after she promised that she would not commit the “mistake” again.

They threatened to take her life if she made the mistake again, he added.

Mr. Kunhambu said Shruthi got into the bus at 4.30 p.m. and the boy boarded it at the next stop. They sat separately after exchanging a few words. He alleged that the bus crew might have passed on information about this to the activists.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police N. Sathish Kumar, who confirmed the incident, said there were indications that the Bajrang Dal city unit convener Sharan Pumpwell was behind the act. However, Mr. Pumpwell told The Hindu that he had nothing to do with it. The police official said the boy was beaten up before being set free. “He is safe now,” he added.

Mr. Kunhambu blamed the BJP government in the State for letting vigilante groups unleash a reign of terror.

“If this can happen to the daughter of an MLA, what about the common man,” he asked.

He said that he now regretted that he had admitted his daughter to a college in Mangalore. “I did a mistake,” he said. Shruthi was taken by the police to identify the locations to which she and Shabeeb had been taken. The police are yet to receive a written complaint.

Corrections and Clarifications

In a report "MLA's daughter kidnapped, freed" (February 7, 2009), the name of the CPI (M) MLA from Manjeshwar (Kerala) was given as Mr. C.K. Kunhambu. It is C.H. Kunhambu.

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