Police register three cases against protesters in Maddur

The Maddur Police booked three separate cases against the protesters for allegedly fomenting trouble during the march through the town on Monday to condemn the stone-pelting incident against a Ganesha immersion procession the previous night.

Superintendent of Mandya district police Mallikarjun Baladandi told The Hindu over phone on Tuesday that one case registered against five persons pertained to the alleged pelting of stones at a place of worship, while another case was against an unspecified number of persons involved in tearing the buntings and flags that were put up in a locality.

The third case had been booked against a woman for hurling abuses against a religious community, he said.

It may be mentioned here that a large number of people had turned up for the march taken out through the streets of Maddur on Monday in response to a call by BJP and its front organisations to condemn the pelting of stones at a Ganesha idol procession in Ram Rahim Nagar of Maddur town on Sunday night.

Ban orders extended

An uneasy calm prevailed in Maddur town on Tuesday as the authorities extended prohibitory orders and beefed up security in the town even as the bandh called by right wing organisations to condemn the lathi-charge during Monday’s protest elicited a mixed response.

Though some shops had downed their shutters in the morning hours, post-noon most commercial establishments resumed business. Even though vehicular movement was thin in the earlier part of the day, buses and autos plied as usual.

Mr. Baladandi said the authorities had ordered the closure of liquor shops in Maddur till Wednesday.

Police personnel have been deployed across the town and patrolling has been stepped up, particularly in sensitive areas, to ensure a close vigil against any attempt by miscreants to disturb peace.

About 800 police personnel led by four officials of the rank of Superintendent of Police, three officials of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police, besides fifteen Deputy Superintendents and thirty Inspectors of Police were manning the town. About fifteen platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and ten platoons of District Armed Reserve (DAR) had also been deployed.

Accused in custody

Meanwhile, the 22 persons, who had been arrested for throwing stones at the Ganesha procession on Sunday night, were sent to judicial custody.

But, Mr. Baladandi said the police qas looking forward to taking them into their custody for interrogation.

Meanwhile, Minister in charge of Mandya district N. Cheluvarayaswamy, who visited the trouble-hit area in Maddur on Monday evening and gathered information from the officials, said a team of senior police officials would inquire into the matter and prepare a report, which would be submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the earliest.