Hindu Woman, Muslim Man Travelling Together Dragged To Police Station

A pro-Hindutva group named Jagrana Vedike reportedly stopped a state-run bus going to Bengaluru in Dakshina Kannada on Thursday. They dragged a Muslim man and Hindu woman travelling in the bus to police station.

As per reports, the Muslim man identified as Naushad was travelling to Puttur with a Hindu woman on Thursday night. The News Minute reported that the man had changed his destination to Bengaluru since he received a call for interview in the city.

Naushad was seen talking to the Hindu woman in the bus. The police said that the Jagrana Vedike members chased the state government bus after getting information about Naushad and the Hindu woman travelling together.

Sullia police station inspector Naveenchandra Jogi confirmed,  "There was an argument and they were taken to the Sullia police station but there was no prior connection between the man and the woman... We checked their phones."

It is yet to be known how the pro-Hindutva group got to know about the man and the woman in the bus. As per the police officer, some co-passenger might have informed them. In a viral video shot of the incident, a group of people are seen engaging in a heated discussion among themselves with Naushad on the other side. Eventually the police broke out the scuffle and sent the Naushad and the woman on their way.

The inspector said that the man and the woman did not want to pursue a complaint against the group that stopped them and they were sent on their way.

As per reports, over 14 cases of moral policing and 51 communal incidents have been recorded under the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). The data was updated last in July this year and includes cases in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi areas.