Activists handover minors for stone pelting, face counter-case of assault

Chikkamagaluru: Tension prevailed in the city after two minors were caught by a few right wing activists for allegedly pelting stones at a house, on Monday.A case was registered for attempted robbery and intentional insult against the accused, minors, police said.
Meanwhile, a counter case was registered against Shyam and Santosh Kotian, associated with the Bajrang Dal.According to police, the activists caught the two minors and handed them to Basavanahalli police for allegedly pelting stones at a house in Vijayanagar in the city.According to Gagan, the resident of the house in question, the two minors has targeted the house for the last few days, and were caught in the wee hours, on Monday. They used to pelt stones when his relative Sudha was alone at the house, he said.Sudha said the stones were thrown at her house repeatedly. When the accused were questioned by Sudha's family, they behaved rudely, she stated. Sudha lodged a complaint against them, following which the cops booked the minors under various sections of the BNS, along with provisions of the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.Soon after the incident in the wee hours, leaders of the Muslim community and right wing activists gathered near the police station, and got into a heated argument with the Bajrang Dal activists.Later, a counter case was registered against Shyam and Santosh, which led to tension as the right wing activists questioned it, pointing out that they handed over the two accused to police custody.However, SDPI members accused that the activists assaulted the two minors and claimed that the offenders must be punished for stone pelting, but assaulting them was not acceptable.SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama said two separate FIRs have been registered in the case and the investigation was on. The 2 minors are being treated at a govt hospital, and are out of danger, he added.