Suspected saffron activists vandalise church, thrash worshippers

Suhaana shuddered with fear as she heard violent banging on her door on Sunday. The atmosphere was charged with communal tension after thousands of ruthless goons supporting contentious Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) launched a bloody onslaught against Muslims in the capital of India.

The family consists of Suhaana (name changed), her partially paralysed husband and two daughters. They are the only Muslim family in Madhuban mohalla of North Ghonda locality in north-east Delhi.

Hearts pounded louder than pounding of the door. Then the banging stopped and noises of men talking loudly came.

"I peeped out from a small window near the kitchen and saw our neighbours standing outside our entrance and arguing with 10-15 unknown people," Suhaana said.

It was the first day of the communal violence, worst in the decades, that fanned out to the entire north-east Delhi over the next three days and claimed at least 42 lives, left over 200 injured and properties worth crores destroyed. The death toll is feared to go up.

Later in the night Suhaana's family moved to one of their Hindu neighbour's house. There are about 30 Hindu households in the mohalla who kept vigil as the atmosphere deteriorated.

The next day, the violence escalated. The neighbours decided to shift Suhaana 's family to Gautampuri for their safety.

Suhaana recounted, "Our neighbours assured us that they are with us but as things were deteriorating, they said they wouldn't be able to protect us if a big mob of hundreds came. They advised us to move to the nearby Gautampuri locality and come back only after things become normal."

Rajkumar Bharadwaj brought the family to Gautampuri in the early hours on February 25.

Anil Gupta, 49, said, "It was tough to rescue them. We were asked by the rioters as to why we were saving the Muslims. But we had to, it is the people of my country who are suffering. It cannot be Hindus or Muslims."

Rajkumar Bharadwaj said, "Their youngest clung to me throughout. After I brought them here at Gautampuri, I felt good. Situation till then was not okay."

On Saturday, some semblance of normalcy returned to parts of north-east Delhi with some people opening their shops amid heavy police presence.

Meanwhile, the morbid sight outside GTB Hospital's mortuary, agonising groans in the hospital wards burnt down houses and shops remind Suhaana and others what they have been spared of.

Mangaluru, July 10: Five people including four policemen suffered injuries following a clash at Melkar in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district last night.

Abdul Salam, 29, a resident of Goltamajalu near Kalladka, was arrested on charge of attacking policemen. He was also attacked by the cops on the spot. Currently he is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to sources, Abdul Salam and another person were quarrelling with lorry drivers on the highway. A couple of policemen including ASI Shailesh, who were on patrol, intervened.

This led to a clash between cops and Abdul Salam, who reportedly snatched the baton from a cop and hit the men in khaki, eye witnesses said.

However, police sources claimed that Abdul Salam was holding an iron road and he thrashed policemen with the rod.

Meanwhile, more policemen reached the spot and thrashed the accused before arresting him.

Police sources said ASI Shailesh, HC Devappa and PCs Niranjan and Malik were injured in the incident. The policemen were treated the government hospital in Bantwal.

Abdul Salam, who suffered critical injuries, was taken to a private hospital in Mangaluru after preliminary treatment.

A case was registered against him in the Bantwal Town Police Station under section 353, 504, 506, 332, 307, 427 IPC, and 2 A Karnataka Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act.

Bengaluru, May 12: People returning to Karnataka from other states will have to remain in quarantine">institutional quarantine even if they are asymptomatic, according to Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Government of Karnataka

"All persons returning to Karnataka from any State, symptomatic or asymptomatic shall be kept in quarantine">institutional quarantine," read an order issued by the State Health and Family Welfare Services.

It further read, "For persons claiming to come from Goa, Deputy Commissioner of receiving district should verify and in the event of adequate capacity not being available, can put them in home quarantine for a period of 14 days, if the claim regarding the origin state is confirmed."

"Deputy Commissioner/Special Commissioner, BBMP will fix the rates for hotels where such returnees will be staying on a payment basis," the statement read.