Mangaluru/Bangalore: Two persons were killed in police firing Thursday as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), turned violent in Mangaluru, even as scores of people including historian Ramachandra Guha were detained in Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka, police informed.
Police sources said protesters tried to lay siege to the Mangalore North police station and tried to attack personnel, following which force was used to disperse them. Two persons sustained bullet injuries in police firing and they later succumbed at a hospital, police confirmed. The deceased were identified as Jaleel Kudroli (49) and Nausheen (23).
Police said earlier that the two persons were seriously injured during the protest and undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital here.
“As there was fatal attack on police, we had to use force… two are seriously injured on the civilian side and until the last information that I have got they are under going treatment at the ICU,” Mangaluru city Police Commissioner PS Harsha said earlier in the day.
Speaking to reporters here, he said about 20 police personnel including DCP (Law and Order) and DCP (Crime) have also sustained severe injuries.
Police lobbed tear gas shells, resorted to baton charge and fired in the air to disperse anti-CAA protesters in Mangaluru, as thousands of demonstrators hit the streets in many cities and towns across Karnataka defying prohibitory orders.
Police have clamped curfew in parts of Mangaluru until Friday night.
Sensing deterioration of the law and order situation, district authorities in Bangalore, Mysore, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Chikkaballapura had earlier imposed prohibitory orders under CrPc section 144 for the next three days starting Thursday. The order bans assembly of more than four people.
Earlier in the day Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa while calling for peace had expressed ‘regret’ about violence in Mangaluru and called it ‘unfortunate’.
“I’m sending senior officials there (Mangaluru). I have given strict instructions to police officials that they should not allow such incidents to happen once again,” Yediyurappa said after meeting with leaders of Muslim community in Bangalore.
Yediyurappa also asserted that protecting the interests of Muslims was the state government’s responsibility.
PTI
