Woman assaulted: Protest held over arrests in case

Udupi: The Malpe Fishermen's Association staged a protest at the Malpe harbour on Saturday, following the arrest of five members of the fishing community in connection with the assault on a woman who was tied to a tree and accused of stealing fish.Dayanand Suvarna, president of the Malpe Fishermen's Association, speaking at the protest meeting said that the incident was an outcome of growing frustration among fishers over frequent thefts at the harbour and the inaction by the authorities."Several theft cases have been reported in the Malpe harbour area, but no action has been taken. While the association does not justify the act of tying and slapping the woman, the arrests were unwarranted as the matter was already settled amicably between the parties," he said.He also criticised the lack of security at the harbour. "There should be at least 30 security personnel deployed, but the private agency entrusted with the task is only interested in making profits and has failed to implement adequate security measures," he alleged.He suggested that if the maintenance and security of the harbour were handed over to the fishermen's association, it would ensure dedicated and effective service. He said that the incident was initially resolved with police intervention, but after a video went viral the next day, police arrested the accused.Former minister Pramod Madhwaraj, former MLA K Raghupathi Bhat, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, and others addressed the gathering.