Mangaluru, Jan 24 (IANS) A court on Friday remanded 14 people to judicial custody till February 7 in connection with the attack on a massage parlour in Karnataka’s Mangaluru city.
Rama Sene activists on Thursday attacked a massage centre in Mangaluru city of Karnataka alleging that the management of the centre is carrying out illegal activities at the centre.
According to police, the activists led by local leader Prasad Attavara barged inside the massage parlour located in the Bijai area and smashed the furniture and glass of the centre.
Reportedly, a group of more than 12 people destroyed everything at the massage parlour. They had threatened the woman staff and others.
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had said that he has directed the police department to arrest the concerned persons immediately.
“I have given directions to initiate action as per the law. These incidents should not take place. There should not be any obstruction carrying out their business. No one should take the law into their hands,” Parameshwara stated.
He added that if there are centres indulging in illegal activities, one has to file a complaint with authorities, adding that the police will initiate action.
“The civil authorities would have given conditions to run their business. If they are not followed, the authorities will initiate action against them,” Parameshwara said.
Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao, who in-charge of Mangaluru district, said that the incident is ‘condemnable’.
He stated: “Under the name of Sri Ram Sene, acts of hooliganism are being carried out. Do not tarnish Lord Ram’s name by engaging in such acts in his name. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands. Such violence and disturbances in the name of Sri Ram Sene are unacceptable.
“If there is any illegal activity, it should be brought to the attention of the police, and complaints should be filed. Taking matters into one’s own hands, causing destruction, and behaving like hooligans is not the way. Everyone must abide by the law and maintain peace and order.”
“Strict instructions have been given to the police to take stringent action against such individuals. Committing such acts in the name of god is disrespect to Lord Rama. Hindu organisations must also condemn such behaviour,” Rao underlined.
“If anyone engages in moral policing and takes the law into their hands, we will take strict action against them. If this behaviour continues, it will hinder the development of regions like Mangaluru in the future,” he warned.
Ram Sene founder Prasad Attavar had told mediapersons that “the attack was carried out by Ram Sene activists”.
“Drugs were given to young girls aged between 18 years and 19 years and they were used to carry out prostitution. One of the girls, a relative of our worker has been entrapped here. We have attacked the centre following a tip-off. There are 25 massage parlours in Mangaluru city. This one parlour was attacked as we had got information on illegal activities. The attack was carried out with the intention to save the girls,” he claimed.
However, the owner of the massage parlour, Sudheer, said that the attackers carried some item with them and kept it in the parlour.
“The parlour has been running for two years with proper documents and license,” he said.
–IANS
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