The Hindu : Front Page : Group celebrating BJP victory ‘attacks’ Muslims at Nettrakere

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Monday, May 18, 2009
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Group celebrating BJP victory ‘attacks’ Muslims at Nettrakere

Staff Correspondent

— Photo: R. Eswarraj

Victim: Shameem of Nettrakere who was injured in the attack, at a hospital in Mangalore on Sunday.

MANGALORE: A group of people celebrating the victory of Nalin Kumar Kateel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha election allegedly barged into and ransacked houses of four Muslim families and assaulted many people at Nettrakere in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district on Saturday evening.

Three persons who sustained injuries have been admitted to a hospital here.

Aboobaker, a shopkeeper, was passing by Navodaya Mitra Kala Vrunda building where some people were bursting crackers to celebrate Mr. Kateel’s victory. Damodar and Santu, who were in the group, allegedly caught him by the collar without any provocation and accused him of making a false claim that a borewell had been sunk in the area by a Congress leader, according to Mr. Aboobaker.

When Mr. Aboobaker managed to wriggle himself out of their clutches and was running towards the house of his relative Shamshir, around 50 to 60 people came after him.

Mr. Aboobaker told The Hindu that Mr. Shamshir locked the front door of the house as soon as he went in. But the BJP supporters allegedly broke the back door and entered the house.

“They carried lathis, soda bottles, cricket bats and cycle chains,” Mr. Shamshir said. “They damaged a refrigerator, a TV set, a voltage stabiliser, a fan and an emergency light, and attacked me and my uncle (Mr. Aboobaker),” he said showing a bruise on his thigh.

When Mr. Shamshir and Mr. Aboobaker ran towards the houses of Shameem and Imtiyaz, the attackers allegedly went after them.

Mr. Aboobaker managed to escape from the locality.

The attackers reportedly caught hold of Mr. Imtiyaz and Mr. Shameem and his brother, Mohammaed Haneef, and started beating them, Mr. Aboobaker said.

“They attacked me with a rod and smashed my leg with a big stone,” Mr. Shameem told The Hindu from his hospital bed.

Mr. Haneef and Mr. Imityaz have also been admitted to the hospital.

The Bantwal police have registered a case and arrested four persons in this regard.

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