Curfew in Mangalore extended

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Last updated on: October 08, 2006 19:46 IST

Curfew in violence-hit Mangalore and three other nearby areas in Karnataka was extended till Monday evening after it was relaxed for two hours on Sunday.

No fresh incident was reported since Sunday night and at Konaje, Ullal and Mangalore rural limits, where two persons have died and 80 others injured in three days of violence, Superintendent of Police B Dayanand told PTI.

The curfew, which was relaxed between 9 AM and 11 AM to enable people to buy essential items, has been extended till 1800 hrs on Monday, he said.

The district administration would take a decision on whether to relax the curfew for sometime or to continue it tomorrow morning, he said.

As many as 300 people had been taken into custody in the last three days, Dayanand said.

Karnataka Home Minister M P Prakash, who has blamed fundamentalists from both communities for the trouble in this communally sensitive coastal district, is expected to arrive in Mangalore on Monday to review the situation.

Violence broke out on Wednesday when some Bajrang Dal activists stopped a vehicle carrying cattle to a slaughter house.

A group of six persons travelling in an ambulance were attacked Saturday night, with one of them succumbing to injuries later. Another victim of a stone throwing incident died on Saturday morning.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed held discussions on Sunday with the Home Ministry officials on the situation arising out of the communal clashes in Mangalore and also met Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi.

The minister said the Governor had decided to cut short his stay in Delhi and return to the state in view of the tense situation arising out of the violence in Mangalore.

Meanwhile, according to information received, one person hailing from Dubai, who was planning to return after the expiry of his visa, was allegedly waylaid by Bajrang Dal activists and stabbed to death.

In Bangalore, Home Minister M P Prakash had said on Saturday the state government suspected the hand of 'communal fundamentalists' in the violence that also left more than 80 people injured and brought life in Mangalore district to a standstill for two days.

Prakash had inferred that the banned Students Islamic Movement of India, VHP, Rama Sena and Hindu Jagran Vedike could be involved in fomenting the communal trouble.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the home department is ascertaining whether SIMI activists had any role in the violence.

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