Mangaluru: Tense situation unfolded in front of Belthangady taluk office on Monday as supporters of Sowjanya and activists of Rashtriya Hindu Jagarana Vedike (RHJV) attempted to submit a petition. Police, who denied permission for protests, detained a few activists who arrived to submit the memorandum. However following pressure from the protesters, permission was eventually granted.Around 10.30am, a team of activists led by Anil Kumar Antara, president of RHJV, Belthangady, arrived in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha. They were stopped by police team, who also warned them that no protest or memorandum submission would be allowed, and also detained some leaders.Antara had sought permission on behalf of activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody to stage a protest. Since the matter related to the protest is currently under consideration before the high court (writ petition), police denied permission for the protest.Meanwhile, Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi, and activist Prasanna Ravi arrived near the taluk office, and they too were stopped by police. They clarified they did not come to protest, but only to submit a memorandum. After discussions with the tahsildar and police officials, permission was granted for Kusumavathi, Prasanna, and Mohan Shetty.Prasanna alleged police deliberately tried to prevent them from exercising their right to submit a memorandum. “We did not protest or cause any disturbance, yet we were stopped,” she said. Meanwhile, Sujatha Bhat, who claimed that her daughter Ananya Bhat, a medical student who went missing from Dharmasthala in 2003, appeared before the SIT which is probing the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case. However, activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattanavar, Jayanath, and Sowjanya’s uncle Vittal Gowda, did not appear before the SIT. Police are expected to serve them another notice.
