Udupi: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders under Shobha Karandlaje, MP, met Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi at the District Police Office and told him that the police should not needlessly arrest members of Hindu organisations in connection with the death of the cattle trader, Hussainabba, which took place at Shenarbettu near Perdoor on May 30.

Karandlaje said that there was rampant theft of cattle and their illegal transportation in the villages coming under the Perdoor-Hiriyadka belt. Even in the present Hussianabba case, 13 head of cattle, 12 calves and one cow, were being illegally transported in a multi-utility vehicle. Hence, the police should first take steps to check cattle theft and their illegal transportation.

"In this case, Hindu activists had first given information to the Hiriyadka police. It was the responsibility of the police to have seen that the activists did not gather at Shenarbettu. Even if they had gathered, the police should have dispersed them. Sub-Inspector of Police Rafiq should be removed from the police investigation team in this case and also such other communally sensitive cases as there were allegations that he behaved rudely with people. The police should stop linking Hindu activists with this case unnecessarily," she said.

Lalaji R. Mendon, B.M. Sukumar Shetty, Raghupati Bhat, MLAs, Dinakar Babu, President of Zilla Panchayat, Udaykumar Shetty, Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, T.V. Hegde, Gurme Suresh Shetty, BJP leaders, were present.