‘Action Will Be taken Against Those Spreading False News’- SP Sudheer Kumar Reddy
Mangaluru : Briefing the media persons, Superintendent of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C.H. on Sunday said, “Action will be taken against those who reportedly made an attempt to plant a holy book at a place of search and circulate images to show the police in poor light. The police have not shown any disregard or disrespect to religious books during the search operation. When a religious book was among the articles picked during the search, the investigation officer rightfully handed it to an elderly relative of Kalandar, who took it inside the house. Similarly, the police returned a cheque book and other important documents to Kalandar’s relative.
“All these allegations made by the family of Kalandar, and published in the media are not true. The police have evidence that the religious book was planted among the books strewn in the house and pictures of it was circulated with an intention to create communal tension. Regarding photographs of the spot purportedly showing Quran on the floor,we have evidence to prove that it was planted by mischief mongers to spark unnecessary tension, and strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty of the act.The whole search operation went on for nearly eight hours and was video-graphed. The search was done in the presence of two government witnesses. Action was being taken against those who tried to play this mischief” had said SP Reddy.
It is learnt that a team of Bantwal police on Saturday searched the house of Kalandar, who is an accused in the murder of RSS activist Sharath Madiwala. Kalandar is said to be among the three persons who assaulted Sharath Madiwala at his laundry in B.C. Road on July 4 that led to his death. Kalandar is reportedly at large. The police have so far arrested 10 persons, including one of the three persons who is said to have assaulted Sharath Madiwala. The police first searched the house of Kalandar’s wife and then the house of Kalandar’s parents in a village in Bantwal. Many incriminating documents and articles related to the crime were recovered from the two houses. The search was done after serving the family members search warrants.
In the evening, a few photographs were circulated on WhatsApp showing a Holy Book among those strewn in the house of Kalandar’s parents and accusing the police of hurting religious sentiments. The police were accused of showing disrespect to Quran and tearing Madrasa books while conducting a search in a house. The family members of Kalandar, a resident of Sajipamunnur, had alleged that the police raided their house and while conducting search, ‘threw Quran on the floor’ and ‘tore Madrasa books’. Kalandar, reportedly accused of accepting Rs one crore in connection to the murder case, is said to be absconding. However, the police have denied the allegations and clarified that no religious books were touched during the search.