Shivamogga, Aug 16: A man, who was suspected to be involved in clashes on Independence Day in Shivamogga, was shot in his leg by the police today morning. The police claimed that he tried to attack them when they went to detain him.
Mohammed Zabi alias Charbi (30), a resident of Marnami Bailu in this district headquarters town, is recovering in a hospital after the incident.
Two men belonging to Hindu and Muslim communities - Prem Singh (aged 20) and Saddam – were hospitalized with injuries after clashes broke out between two communities in the town over putting up banners of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and 18th century Mysuru ruler and India’s first freedom fighter Tipu Sultan on Monday.
Soon after the clash, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the IPC were imposed in the town.
A case of attempt to murder was also registered under section 307 of the IPC against those who allegedly stabbed Prem Singh, and, in this connection, police arrested Nadeem and Abdul Rehman.
On Tuesday morning when a police team went to detain Zabi, he allegedly tried to attack police team. In self defence, sub-inspector Manjunath S Kuki of Vinoba Nagar police station shot in his right leg, police said. He was rushed to a government hospital where he is recovering.
I-Day clash
Two people were injured on Monday as two groups clashed over displaying banners of their leaders at Amir Ahmed Circle on BH Road to mark Independence Day in the city.
Police sources said that a group of activists from Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations led by BJP leader Deen Dayal erected a banner of Hindutva leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at the circle, an area known to be communally sensitive, around 2.30 pm. The police managed to seize the banner with the help of corporation officials after a brief altercation with the group.
Meanwhile, Muslim youths gathered at the circle and insisted that they be allowed to erect a Tipu Sultan banner if Savarkar's banner is put up, superintendent of police B M Laxmi Prasad said. When the two groups started approaching the circle, the police caned and chased them away. Meanwhile, a few people were running towards the circle to hoist the tricolour. The police took away the flag and hoisted it themselves at the circle, he added.
Enraged by this, members of right-wing groups staged flash protests demanding that the authorities permit them to display Savarkar's banner. Deputy commissioner R Selvamani pacified the protesters. The police detained the agitators as a precaution and later released them.
Amid the tension, Prem Singh was stabbed in Uppar Keri area by bike-borne youths. Prem Singh, employed at a cloth outlet on Kasturba Road, was on his way home in neighbouring Gandhi Bazaar after locking the shop when he was stabbed. SP Laxmi Prasad said that the stabbing was not related to the banner incident but a random incident after the lathi charge. He also denied reports of another stabbing incident in the city.
Meanwhile, a youth, Saddam was attacked either with knife or stone and admitted to the District McGann general hospital. Hospital medical superintendent M S Sridhar said that Prem Singh and Saddam were both out of danger.
On August 13, a man was arrested for obstructing corporation officials from discharging their duty at a photo exhibition of freedom fighters at the City Centre mall on Nehru Road.
Based on a complaint by the deputy commissioner of the city corporation, the police registered an FIR against unidentified youths. Later, Mohammed Sharief, spouse of a Congress corporator, was caught and produced before a court. He has been remanded in judicial custody till August 26.
Tension had prevailed at the exhibition for a while when a group of Muslims objected to Savarkar's photo along with other freedom fighters like Gandhi and Chandrashekhar Azad. They had argued that Savarkar was not a freedom fighter and the corporation had not displayed the photo of a single Muslim freedom fighter though many Muslims had sacrificed their lives during the freedom movement.
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