Curfew Like atmosphere in mangalore after 8 PM

20 August 2009

It was Curfew Like atmosphere in mangalore after 8 PM today.For maintaining the law and order situation and to avoid recurrence of untoward incidents, the Dakshina Kannada district administration, in consultation with the police department, has decided to order closure of the business establishments by 8 pm in the city as well as some sensitive areas in the district, for the next 48 hours, said deputy commissioner V Ponnuraj at a press meet held here on Thursday, August 20. This order will be effective on Friday and Saturday.

Some of the unsavoury incidents had been precipitated by some vested interests in the city. These incidents have shown signs of damaging the peaceful atmosphere of the district, he said, stressing that the orders are being issued as a preventive measure against the recurrence of such incidents. He hoped that the people will extend full cooperation to the concerned authorities by adhering to the orders, he said.
“The order will cover all the business establishments, but the transport system will remain unaffected by the order,” he clarified.

Gopal Hosur, inspector general of police, western range, said that the policemen will be patrolling the areas, duly reinforced with additional forces. The patrolling will be conducted with the help of more than 30 vehicles, with the help of Karnataka State Reserve police that has already arrived, and an additional 300 policemen, who will be coming from out side the state and are expected to arrive here shortly. “At the same time, we have sent a request to the senior police officers in the state, to deploy Central Reserve police,” he revealed.

“We are going to implement strict measures to prevent any form of violence from taking place,” Hosur said, adding that innocents are being targetted by the miscreants. The deputy commissioner would be appointing an executive magistrate to take preventive measures as and when needed, he said.

He also felt that the incidents that have occurred in the city, were the handiwork of some vested interests, which are working to disturb the social fabric of the region, as part of their larger conspiracy. He said that the police department is trying to provide security to the common people and exhorted all the organizations to join hands with the administration and the policemen, in maintaining peace as well as to eradicate the social evils that are responsible for such incidents.

As the city has become notorious because of the past incidents of communal violence and disturbances, the developments that take place here are being closely monitored by the national media. It may be noted, that the national media has started live coverage of the goings on in the city, by installing their outdoor broadcasting satellite linking instruments here.