Speaker defends Mangaluru police registering case against CPI(M) district secretary

U.T. Khader, Speaker and Mangaluru MLA, on Thursday defended the Mangaluru City Police registering a case against CPI(M) district secretary Muneer Katipalla and others for staging a protest at Kuloor despite the police denying permission for it on Tuesday.

U.T. Khader, Speaker and Mangaluru MLA, on Thursday defended the Mangaluru City Police registering a case against CPI(M) district secretary Muneer Katipalla and others for staging a protest at Kuloor despite the police denying permission for it on Tuesday.

“The police have to maintain law and order. If one violates a police directive, the latter is bound to register a case. If a particular organisation is allowed to protest violating procedures, then it will encourage others to follow suit,” he told reporters.

The police denied permission for the protest. When people went ahead with the protest, the city police have rightly booked the case, Mr. Khader said.

The protest was held on the flank of NH 66 near the Kuloor bridge on the NHAI’s land demanding upkeep of the highway stretch between Nanthoor and Surathkal, speedy construction of the new bridge at Kuloor, and early completion of underpasses at KPT and Nantoor junctions.

Following the protest, the Kavoor police on Tuesday booked Mr. Katipalla and others for offences punishable under Sections 189 (2) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Meanwhile, condemning the police registering the case, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India and other like-minded organisations staged a protest near Rao and Rao Circle on Thursday. The protesters accused Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal of being autocratic and preventing protests relating to people’s issues.

They urged the State government to immediately transfer Mr. Agrawal.