The Mangaluru City police have taken bonds, assuring good conduct, from 895 persons, suspected of involvement in crime or breach of peace, to maintain law and order.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said bonds of 54 persons were forfeited for violation, and the forfeited amount stood at ₹10.15 lakh.
Mr. Reddy’s statement comes in view of some leaders of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) during a protest here on Friday questioning police taking bonds from some SDPI activists. Protestors, among others, sought details of the number of Sangh Parivar activists from whom bonds have been taken.
Mr. Reddy said police took bonds on the basis of facts, and not communities. The police have right to take bonds from those whom they think may cause breach of peace or involve in offence of any kind. The police will continue the same in future too.
“It has become common in this area (Mangaluru region) to play victim and incite innocent people through tactful articulation hiding facts,” he said.
Of 895 persons from whom bonds were taken, 521 were Hindus and 351 were Muslims. Among the 895 persons, 807 were ‘rowdy sheeters’. Of the 54 persons, who violated the bond and involved in crime, 39 were Hindus and 13 were Muslims.
“The facts clearly show that there are people who have violated bond conditions and are involved in offences.” Mr. Reddy said. Most of those bonds were forfeited and forfeiture proceedings were on in some more cases.
In the past six months, bonds were taken from two members of Hindu organisations before the Sharadotsava procession. Similarly, bonds were taken from two persons of SDPI before the protest last Friday because police anticipated breach of peace or hate speech.
Rather than communalising the minds of innocent people by giving partial facts and hiding the rest of the facts as per convenience, facts can be given out coherently. Balancing action in crime is not in the hands of the police. It is in the hands of the people of that community. “If they don’t commit any offence, their numbers in taking bonds will be less. If they commit more offences, the numbers will be high. Similarly, police action too,” Mr. Reddy stated.
Case booked
Meanwhile, the Bantwal Rural police have registered a suo motu case for circulating clips of the SDPI protest here on Friday, where false information was put out by making selective references to decisions of district courts and the High Court of Karnataka. The false information was deliberately circulated to create confusion in the mind of people, the police said.
Published – December 21, 2025 08:49 pm IST
