Sat Mar 22 14:57:41 UTC 2025: ## Fishermen Protest Police Arrests Following Assault at Malpe Harbour
**Mangaluru, March 22, 2025** – Hundreds of fishermen protested at Malpe fisheries harbour in Udupi on Saturday, opposing the arrest of five members of their community. The arrests stem from an incident on March 18th where a headload worker was tied to a tree after allegedly stealing fish from a boat. While the Fishermen’s Association condemned the assault, its president, Dayanand Suvarna, argued the arrests were unnecessary as the parties involved had already reached a compromise with police intervention. He further criticized the lack of adequate security at the harbour, stating that insufficient staffing by the private security agency contributed to the incident. He proposed that the Malpe Fishermen’s Association be entrusted with harbour security.
Former Fisheries Minister Pramod Madhwaraj, a BJP leader, defended the fishermen’s actions, claiming the assault was a response to theft and that the victim admitted her wrongdoing. He suggested the police mishandled the situation. Similar sentiments were echoed by former MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat, who called for the withdrawal of atrocity charges against the arrested fishermen. The protest also saw participation from Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna and Congress leader Ramesh Kanchan. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about security and theft at the Malpe fisheries harbour.
First Piper 