Harassed, assaulted by cops for being Muslim, alleges DYFI leader in FB post

Team Udayavani, Oct 3, 2018, 5:25 PM IST

Mangaluru: A 25-year-old youth, a leader of DYFI has in a Facebook post alleged harassment by Venur police for being a Muslim.

Narrating his ordeal, the youth, Riyaz Manthoor, a resident of Moodbidri says that on Tuesday night he along with his brother Irshad (18) was travelling towards Kelthaje in Belthangady when their two-wheeler was intercepted by the on-duty police personnel for inspection purposes.

The police asked to see his vehicle documents and Riyaz promptly produced the driver license while assuring them that he would provide the other documents the next day morning since the same was at home. 

Further, he mentions that the police constables – Ranjit and Taranath – after having a look at the name mentioned in the driver license turned abusive and started taunting him with comments such as “Beary, are you going to commit theft? You look like a terrorist.” 

When Riyaz objected to their abusive language the constables questioned his egostic attitude despite being a Muslim and assaulted him.

The cops stated that they would take his bike to the station, and so Riyaz requested them to drop him and his brother to Belthangady in the police vehicle. This angered the cops further and they allegedly asked him if the police jeep belonged to his father.

Police inspector Nagesh Kadri, who happened to pass by the same place at the time stopped to inquire what was going on and the constables informed him that Riyaz and his brother were arguing with the police. The inspector reportedly ordered the cops to “put them behind bars.”

At the police station, some 15-20 police personnel beat us and even filed a compliant that we had assaulted the cops and that they had recovered weapons from their bike, says Riyaz.