Mangaluru: In February this year, Shivamogga in Karnataka was at the centre of an outbreak of communal violence after a Bajrang Dal member, Harsha ‘Hindu’, was killed allegedly by members of the Muslim community.

At the time, police had denied that there was any communal motive behind the killing, saying that Harsha had been “involved in at least five cases of assault and attempt to murder, some of which included attacks on rival anti-social elements from the Muslim community too.”

However, the backlash that the killing drew saw thousands of Bajrang Dal members rioting through the city, vandalising property and committing arson through the course of funeral procession.

While the police accompanied the procession, they reportedly played a passive role, allege witnesses, using tear gas to control the mob only five hours in. 

While the region slowly made its return to normalcy after the wave of violence, a similar but less reported series of events took place on May 6, where the Muslim community residing in the Sulebailu village on Shivamogga’s outskirts was subjected to ostensibly retributive mob violence, but this time, from people they knew.

Also read: Karnataka: Protests Over Shivamogga Bajrang Dal Man’s Murder Turn Violent

Where did it start? 

On May 6, a car reportedly belonging to the friend of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha leader was attacked by two Muslim youths near the Gas Godown chowk at Idganagar in Sulebailu. Locals claimed that that the car had crashed into the two-wheeler vehicle to the Muslim youths and that the youths followed the car and attacked the driver following the crash.

While different parties gave conflicting reports of the incident, the police proceeded to register a suo motu case against the attack on the car as well as an attempt to murder case, and arrested the accused.

But while the details of the catalytic incident may have been murky, the scale of the violence that followed appears to have been disproportionate, targeting the Muslim community of the area at large.

On May 6, a large mob attacked Muslim homes in the area with stones, set vehicles on fire and injured several long-term residents of the area, including women and children who had nothing to do with the original conflict.

The violent outburst of the extremist Hindutva elements did not stop there. Three days after the attack in Sulebailu, on May 9, a gang of masked men reportedly went on a violent rampage in the Urgadur area, damaging vehicles parked in Muslim localities. While the gang managed to cover their faces using cloth, the entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity.

Recounting the incident to The Wire, Afroz, a witness, said, “There was news that a fight had broken out around 10:30 pm at Sulebailu. However, there was no information about the reason behind the fight. Later, around 11:30 pm, approximately 25 two-wheelers vehicles carrying 2-3 people each barged into our suburb.”

Afroz was, himself a victim as his residence had been at the receiving end of the mob’s anger.

“We had guests from Badravati who had just left our residence that night. However, they returned moments later, explaining that a fight had broken out on the way,” Afroz recalled.

“They said that 200-300 people were gathered in the area with a large number of police personnel with them. They saw several people holding sticks and other lethal weapons in their hands. Fearing a large-scale fight, they returned to our residence,” he said. 

Apart from the psychological trauma, victims of the mob’s assault suffered economic losses too, in terms of damage to their property and vehicles. Damage was done to the door to Afroz’s house as well as his roof.

The rioting mob reportedly attacked six Muslim homes. According to locals, the mob had first turned off the street lights by damaging them and only then had attacked the houses. They destroyed the entrance to the locality, doors and windows of houses and five cars parked in front of the homes, as well as an auto rickshaw.

A car which had its rear windshield smashed during the violence. Photo: Special arrangement.

Although the superintendent and other police officials visited the region, no action has been taken against the rioting Hindu mob as yet. The victims of the mob’s violence have expressed fear over the fact that those responsible are running scot-free before their very eyes. 

Wahida Banu’s family attacked

The family of Wahida Banu was also unexpectedly attacked by the mob, while returning from distributing invitations to their daughter’s wedding among relatives.

Banu (44), who sustained injuries during the attack, said that the police had stopped them from moving forward at the Sulebailu crossing and had directed them to take another route. By the time they reached home, however, the mob had already reached there.

Cracked front windshield of a car after the mob attack. Photo: Special arrangement.

“Just as we stopped in front of our residence and were about to climb the veranda into our home, the mob rioting nearby noticed the auto we were in,” Banu said. “As soon as some of them noticed us inside, they screamed that there were people inside the auto and called the rest of the rioters.”

“They began attacking the auto with the wooden sticks, rods and bricks they were holding,” she continued. “They broke the windshield and damaged the vehicle. Despite our screams that there were children inside the auto, they did not stop pelting stones.”

Banu noted that as soon as the police arrived at the scene, the mob fled.

“A brick thrown by the mob caused injuries to my neck and arm. It caused swelling and I was not able to lift my arm. The injury them made me dizzy and I eventually blacked out,” Banu recalled.

“Finally, upon hearing our screams, our neighbours came to our aid,” she said.

‘They pushed me into the drain and tried to crush me with a stone’

Hafeez, a 21-year-old painter, was attacked while he was returning home after a painting job. 

“They were carrying swords and wooden sticks in their hands. As soon as they came across me, they began their assault,” Hafeez said. “They beat me severely, especially on my arms and legs, with the thick wooden sticks they were carrying.  Throughout the assault, they referred to the Muslim community with profane, obscene language and shouted anti-Muslim slogans.”

Hafeez, injured after the beating. Photo: Special arrangement.

“After beating me, they tried to push me into the drain and attempted to crush me with a rock,” Hafeez further claimed. “My neighbours came to my rescue. Seeing them, the perpetrators fled. The neighbours who came to my rescue helped me out of the drain and took me home. Later, they admitted me to a hospital for treatment.”

Hafeez said that despite the threats against his life, he went to file a complaint with the police the very next day, but the police did not register a case.

“The rioters had come from the Muttur, Sidralli, and Kuskur regions. They are all people working with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” Hafeez alleged. “Although most of them were unfamiliar faces, Karthik and Kumar were two individuals among them that I knew.”  

‘We are shocked that those known to us participated in the attacks’

Afroz, who is among the seven victims from Sulebailu to have filed complaints with the police about the events on the night of May 6, said, “It is shocking that people whom we knew; with whom we have carried out respectful interactions, participated in the attack against our homes. We have always regarded the Brahmin community from Maddur with great respect. Even if a problem arose in other regions, they saw to it that no untoward incident occurred in our suburb.  We were under the impression that we were surrounded by good people.”

“Whether it was the people from the surrounding Brahmin community or any other community, if they were stuck in some problem, we used to go out of our way to help them and offer them water, medicines, and the like,” Afroz continued. “During instances of road accidents, we have also helped save many lives. Pelting stones at us, who have always helped them during hardship, what kind of justice is this?” he asked. 

According to Afroz, the victims resorted to legal avenues to seek justice only after attempts to talk to members of the other community and reconcile their differences, failed.

“In the morning when we wake up, all of us have to face each other. For this reason, we thought that the members of the Brahmin community in our neighbourhood would initiate talks, and so we waited. We waited for them to initiate conversations. On humanitarian grounds, we decided to wait for three days and did not approach the police immediately to file complaints. However, finally, when our wait did not bring forth any result, we approached the police and registered our complaint,” Afroz said.

‘The actions of two delinquents brought a bad name to the entire town’

The Wire got in touch with Sulebailu ward corporator Sangeetha’s husband, Ravi, to obtain information on the incident. 

“I was not in the town on the day of the incident. According to the information I received, around 9 pm, Shivamogga district Yuva Morcha president Harikrishna’s friend’s car was waylaid and attacked near Sulebailu’s Idganagar Gas Godown Cross,” Ravi said.

“There were three people in the car during the incident. They were allegedly attacked but remained inside the car and later escaped from the scene using the same vehicle,” he continued. “The actions of two delinquents (the attackers) has brought a bad name to the whole town. I have no information regarding the attack on houses at Indira Nagar. From what I know, only two cars in the garage have been damaged,” he said. 

A window shattered by the mob. Photo: Special arrangement.

Despite mentioning the names of the rioters in the FIR, no arrests made

Based on the complaints given by victims Banu, Nazeer Ahmed, and Hafeezullah, who were attacked during the mob violence, three FIRs have been registered. However, the cases have been registered against ‘unknown’ perpetrators, despite the victims naming the attackers in their complaints. The alleged perpetrators have not yet been arrested.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a suo motu case against the attack on the car, adding charges of attempted murder and even arresting the accused.

What do police officials say about the incident?

While the investigation into the incident is underway, in a statement given to The Wire on May 15, Tunga police station inspector Manjunath said, “Pertaining to the attack on houses, cases have been registered against 20-25 people. We have procured CCTV footage from the region where the incident took place,” he said. “In footage from one CCTV camera, the visuals are unclear. But the police are going forward with the investigation.”

“In certain sensitive localities, police has been deployed,” Manjunath continued. “We received information that the vehicles were stopped on their way and attacked. There is no connection between the accused who waylaid and attacked the car (belonging to the Yuva Morcha president’s friend) and the residences that were attacked. The group that had gathered there has conducted the attack, that’s all.”

When asked why attempt to murder cases had not been registered against the accused in the mob attack as they had against the accused in the initial attack of the car, Manjunath said, “I was not at the location when the incident unfolded. Now, FIRs have been registered with regard to the incidents. I do not have extra information about the incident.”

Further, when asked about the incident at Urgadur which took place on May 9, he said, “This incident is in line with the incident that occurred three days prior.”

The attitude of the police department in dealing with the complaints has affirmed the feeling of insecurity and anxiety among the victims from the minority community.