Rioting case booked against MLAs, MP for holding Kambala Kare foundation programme

Rioting charges filed against MLAs and an MP for breaching prohibitory orders during the Kambala Kare foundation event in Udupi.

The Manipal police on Saturday, February 28, booked cases of unlawful assembly, rioting, and criminal trespass against Gurme Suresh Shetty, Kapu MLA, who led the Kambala Kare foundation programme at 80-Badagubettu village, Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, and others.

Cases were booked based on the complaint of Udupi tahsildar Gururaj, who accused Mr. Shetty, Mr. Poojary, MLAs Yashpal Suvarna, V. Sunil Kumar, A. Kiran Kumar Kodgi, Gururaj Gantihole, Harish Poonja, and Rajesh U. Naik, Dhananjay Sarji, MLC, Lalaji R. Mendon, former Kapu MLA (all from BJP), Udupi district BJP president Kuthyar Naveen Shetty, Karnataka Kambala Association president Belapu Deviprasad Shetty, and others, of violating the prohibitory orders issued on February 27 by Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa, and conducting the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Kambala Kare on February 28.

The tahsildar said 6.3 acres of government land in Kabyadi Thattoor, 80-Badagubettu village, were earmarked by the Deputy Commissioner on September 23 last year for holding the kambala, parking buffalo transporting vehicles, and setting up a veterinary dispensary.

The district-level Koti-Chennayya Jodukare Kambala Samithi, Udupi, recognised by the Karnataka Kambala Association, trespassed at the property, levelled the lands, and organised the foundation stone laying programme on February 28, Mr. Gururaj said.

The Deputy Commissioner had on February 27 promulgated prohibitory orders under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, anticipating a clash between workers of political parties, to be in effect for the entire day on February 28. However, the accused violated the prohibitory orders and conducted the programme between 10.30 a.m. and noon, the tahsildar stated.