A police inspector and three cops have been suspended in connection with negligence and failure to handle communal clashes that surfaced in Karnataka’s Koppal district following an interfaith affair in Hulihaider village.
For failing to handle communal clashes, Inspector Parasappa Bhajanthri, ASI Manjunath, police constables Hanumantappa and Sangappa Meti attached to Kanakagiri Police Station have been suspended, according to IANS.
The SP of Koppal district Arunagshu Giri and Rudresh Ujjanakoppa ordered the inquiry.
According to police, two people, identified as Pasha Walli (22) and Yenakapaa Talavad (60), succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, while six other people were also reported injured in the clashes.
The violence broke out allegedly after a Hindu boy went to meet a Muslim girl on the occasion of Muharram. At first, the incident led to a verbal spat between members of the two communities and later it got out of control leading to clashes.
The police have taken over 25 people into custody in connection with the incident. As many as 58 persons have been booked in connection with the violence based on the evidence collected by CCTV.
Civil rights group Bahutva Karnataka had condemned the police inaction leading to violence and the vindictive arrest of its Convener Sanna Hanumantha. It said that the violence and the unfortunate deaths could have been prevented if the “District Administration and the police acted on the complaints filed by Sanna Hanumantha.”
