Kalladka: Cops accused of barging into Muslim homes, manhandling women

Mangaluru, Jun 15: Several Muslim families in Bantwal taluk’s trouble-hit Kalladka have accused the local police of barging into their houses at midnight and harassing innocent residents including women in the wake of recent communal disturbances in the region.

At least five persons including four women have been admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru after they were allegedly manhandled by the cops, who forcefully entered into their houses last night in search of suspects in connection with Tuesday’s untoward incidents.

Nafeesa (52) and her son Musthafa (around 30), residents of KC Road in Kalladka, Rukiyya (53) and Maiyamma (50) residents of Manimajal in Kalladka and Maimoona (50), also a resident of Kalladka were hospitalized on Thursday morning.

According to them, a team of Bantwal town police station including SI Rakshit Gowda and constables Laxman, Vijayakrishna, Amanulllah, Abdurrahman, Udyakumar Bhat and Rajesh stormed into their houses at night and attacked the residents.

“This is not the first time the police are targeting us,” complained Rukiyya, mother of five girls and a man. “My husband is a beedi collector. Son Nazeer works as a car driver. I do not know why police target us after every untoward incident in Kalladka. My five daughters are there at home. We feel extremely insecure,” she said.

“The police had visited home at 10 p.m. on Tuesday in search of my son. Again they barged into home around 12:30 a.m. last night. I told them that my son had not returned as someone had hired the car for a long trip. However they pushed me away and began to search everywhere,” she said adding that her son is a hard worker, who never indulged in any kind of anti-social activity.

According to Nafeesa, around 10 policemen barged into her house at 2 a.m. “Where is your son Kulfi Iqbal,” they asked me. I replied them that I don’t know any person called Kulfi Iqbal. However a policeman forcefully pushed me. When I was falling, another policeman’s hand hit my neck. I am an asthma patient and feeling difficult to breathe after the incident,” she said.

“After mercilessly pushing my mother they began to question me. One among them held my neck and tore my shirt. Another policeman kicked me,” said Nafeesa's son Mustafa. “Then they abused my brother Ahmed Bava, who works in a Gulf country. He had come home nearly three months ago on vacation. The policeman took his passport along with them,” he said.

Maimoona, who is in a state of shock, said that the policemen tried to manhandle her pregnant daughter too. “We had kept the door open as those who had gone to mosque to offer Taraveeh prayers had not yet returned. Meanwhile a few policemen entered home asking for my son Jaafar. When I told them that he was yet to come, they threatened to arrest my husband and pregnant daughter,” she said.

Mariyamma, who is a heart patient, collapsed due to severe chest pain when the policemen forcefully entered her house at 12: 30 a.m. “They enquired me about my son Rasheed. I was shocked and collapsed on the floor. My daughter-in-law came to my rescue and took me to the bedroom,” she said. “My son takes care of his family. He is not a criminal. I do not know why police are searching for him,” she added.

(With inputs from Varta Bharati Kannada daily)

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