Two killed in firing during anti-CAA protest in Mangaluru: Cops

Two persons were killed in police firing on Thursday as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, turned violent in Mangaluru, even as scores of people including historian Ramachandra Guha were detained in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, police said. Police sources said protesters tried to lay siege to the Mangalore North police station and tried to attack police personnel, following which force was used to disperse them.

Two persons received 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.

Read: Historian Guha detained for staging protest against CAA

"As there was a fatal attack on the 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 undergoing treatment at the ICU," Mangaluru city police Commissioner P S Harsha said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said about 20 police personnel, including DCP (Law and Order) and DCP (Crime), have also received 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 on Thursday defying prohibitory orders.

Police have clamped curfew in parts of the city until Friday night. Sensing deterioration of the law and order situation, district authorities in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Chikkaballapura had earlier imposed prohibitory orders under CrPc section 144 for the next three days starting from Thursday.

Read: Bengaluru: Left parties to protest at Town Hall despite Section 144

The order bans assembly of more than four people. Earlier in the day Chief Minister B S 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," he said after meeting with leaders of the Muslim community in Bengaluru. He also asserted that protecting the interests of Muslims was the State government's responsibility.

Scores of people including historian Ramachandra Guha in Bengaluru were among the demonstrators who were detained and later released during the protests across the state on Thursday. Holding placards and waving the tricolour, protesters raised slogans such as 'Hum Le Ke Rahenge Azadi' and 'Withdraw CAA and NRC' and 'CAA is against the Constitution.' Similar demonstrations took place at Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Hassan and Shivamogga too. 

Read: Bengaluru: People defy Section 144, scores gather at Town Hall to protest against CAA