6 held for stone pelting at Katipalla mosque

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru city police arrested six persons for allegedly pelting stones at Masjidul Huda Juma Masjid at the third block in Katipalla on Sunday night.City police commissioner Anupam Agrawal said the arrested are Bharath Shetty, 26, Chennappa Shivananda Chalavadi alias Muthu, 19, from Ashraya Colony, Kana-Katla, Nithin Hadapa, 22, from Chelaru, Sujith Shetty, 23, from Kodipadi, Annappa alias Manu, 24, from Ishwara Nagara in Hosabettu, and Preetham Shetty, 34, from third Block Katipalla.The commissioner said the members of the Muslim community had decorated the masjid for Eid Milad celebrations on Sunday. Miscreants, who arrived on two bikes from Janata Colony crematorium side, allegedly hurled stones at the windowpanes from the backside of the masjid — damaging them — and fled from the spot at 9.50pm. In his complaint, masjid president K H Abdul Rahiman stated that it was an intentional act to incite hate among communities.Following the incident, a special team was constituted by police commissioner, along with DCPs Sidharth Goyal and Dinesh Kumar, Mangaluru north sub-division ACP Srikanth K, Surathkal inspector Mahesh Prasad, PSIs Raghavendra, Janardhan Naik, head constables Umesh Kottari, Annappa Vandse, Dilip Raje Aras, constables Karthik Kulal, Vinond Kumar, and Manjunath Ayatti. The team arrested the culprits on Kadri Sri Manjunatha Temple Road on Monday.The commissioner said there are 12 cases against Bharath Shetty, five against Chennappa, one against Nithin, and two each against Annappa and Preetham Shetty. Police have recovered a car, two bikes, and four cellphones from them. They will be produced before the court, Agrawal added.