Mangaluru, (DHNS): Mangaluru Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in Mangaluru Police Commissionerate limits (entire Dakshina Kannada) till midnight of June 27.

This has been done as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in view of communal tension in areas such as Kalladkka, B.C. Road, Farangipet, on the outskirts of the city in Dakshina Kannada.

Tension prevailed in some parts of Bantwal taluk represented in the Assembly by B. Ramanath Rai, Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology and also in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, after an autorickshaw driver Ashraf Kalayi (35), who is an activist of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), was hacked to death at Benjanapadvau between Mangaluru and B.C. Road on Wednesday noon.

Meanwhile, K.G. Jagadeesha, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada, had extended the prohibitory orders clamped on Bantwal, Sullia, Belthnagady and Sullia taluks on Wednesday.

Shops and commercial establishments in Faraniget, B.C. Road and Kalladkka on the National Highway 75 functioned normally on Thursday.

K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, Chikkamagaluru and his team have been assisting Dakshina Kannada police in maintaining law and order on the outskirts of the city.

ASP asked to go on leave

Alok Mohan, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), who arrived in Mangaluru on Thursday, told reporters that C. Vedamurthy, Additional Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada, has been asked to go on leave after the frequent recurrence of communal clashes in Kalladkka area.

“This is as a part of streamlining policing in Dakshina Kannada,” he said, adding that four teams have been formed to arrest those behind the murder of the autorickshaw driver.

Security for Bantwal

He said 12 platoons of the KSRP, six platoons of DAR and additional police personnel from Chikkamagaluru, Udupi have been deployed in Bantwal taluk to maintain law and order.

P. Harishekaran, Inspector General of Police (Western Range), Mangaluru is inquiring into the lapses of police and communal clashes in Bantwal taluk, he said.

Change of guard

Meanwhile, C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy took charge as the new Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada on Thursday from the incumbent Bhushan Gulabrao Borse who has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (administration), Bengaluru. Earlier, Mr. Reddy was the Superintendent of Police of Mandya.