Assault on Journalists at Suralpadi Madrasa, KJU demands action
Mangaluru: The Karnataka Journalists Union handed over a memorandum to the police commissioner to take action against those who kept journalists by force in a room for over 2 hours and assaulted them at the Nur-Ul Madrasa, Suralpadi here on September 6.
The president of KJU, Sudesh Kumar along with the members handed over the memorandum to DCP Law and Order Shantharaj demanding action against the culprits for taking the law into their hands.
After receiving the memorandum DCP Shantharaj assured to take action against those who assaulted the Journalists and kept them against their will for more than 2 hours. He also said that he has already informed police commissioner Chandra Sekhar about the incident.
Speaking to mangalorean.com Bava Padarangi said, “At the Nur-Ul Madrasa in Suralpadi, morning classes are being held for students from 6:30 to 8:00 am. Even when there is rain students are made to assemble twice for the Assembly. I requested the Madrasa authorities not to assemble students when there is rain since it is wrong and punishable according to the child protection act”.
Bava further said, “Instead of taking action and stopping the students from assembling when it rains, the Madrasa authorities called an emergency meeting and banned me from entering the Madrasa.
In this regard, I shared my views with fellow journalists and on September 6, at around 8:00 am, four journalists from various TV channels visited the place to interview the religious head Usman Mukri. Usman refused to speak and instead used the Mike and incited the people of the area announcing that some unknown people have barged into the Madrasa. Immediately more than 300 people gathered, they took all the four journalists inside the Madrasa against their Will, snatched their cameras, mobile phones, memory card, assaulted them and kept them there for more than 2 hours after which the police came and released them. One of the journalists was taken to the Khutba and forced to promise that he will not telecast whatever has been recorded”.
He also said, “I also informed the police who reached the spot and released the journalists. We have filed a complaint in the Bajpe Police station and given a written complaint in the police commissioner’s office.”
KJU Vice president Dr Shivasharan Shetty and others were also present.