Mangaluru: In stark contrast to ministers’ proclamations that vigilantism would not be allowed and all the talk of zero tolerance about such incidents, it was the same old story at the Forum Fiza mall in Pandeshwar on Sunday.
A young man and a young woman, said to be hailing from Udupi but belonging to two different faiths, were found moving together in the mall. Five men, allegedly belonging to Bajrang Dal, accosted them.
While the woman was asked to go away from there, they took the young man out and assaulted him. The woman tried to call him on his mobile number but there was no response.
Being worried about her safety, she complained to the Pandeshwar police. They arrived and tracked down five BD workers. Their names are Chetan (23) of Kunjatbail, Rakshit Kumar (21) of Sringeri, Ashwin Raj (21) of Kandak, Sushant Shetty (23) and Sharat Kumar (20) of Car Street.
There were more involved in the incident. The police are looking for them. Speaking to our correspondent, a outlet-owner said that the pattern of such vigilantism was always the same.
Local persons are not involved. They are being instigated to do such acts, while the real players remain anonymous in the background.
Another trader in the same mall said that such incidents had brought a bad name to the mall and business was steadily shrinking for the same reason.
Yet another revealed in private that the security agencies in different malls were run by the leaders of such fringe outfits and they have a widespread networking to spread news of any young couples moving together.
The mall-owners are under compulsion to patronize such security agencies in their own safety, he said.
“Well I am not surprised “