Wed Apr 30 18:16:13 UTC 2025: ## Mangaluru Police Under Fire After Delayed Action in Mob Lynching Case
**Mangaluru, Karnataka (April 30, 2025):** The Mangaluru Police Commissioner, Anupam Agrawal, is facing criticism for the delayed response to the mob lynching of 35-year-old Ashraf of Kerala on April 27th. District Congress president K. Harish Kumar and other officials are demanding Agrawal’s accountability, alleging that the initial police report downplayed the incident as a simple death.
The initial investigation, led by Inspector Shiva Kumar of the Mangaluru Rural police station, reportedly misrepresented the cause of death. Only after an autopsy revealed the lynching did police register a case and arrest 20 individuals. Kumar accuses the inspector of providing false information and calls for his suspension. The Congress also alleges that the BJP is fueling communal discord in the region.
CPI(M) district secretary Muneer Katipalla supports these accusations, stating that the police possessed information about the lynching on the evening of April 27th but inexplicably delayed registering a proper case. He advocates for a thorough inquiry into the initial mishandling.
Conversely, Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty claims that Hindu activists are being falsely implicated under political pressure. He alleges that activists were coerced into confessing involvement and threatens protests if the police continue this alleged victimization. The situation remains tense as investigations continue and political accusations fly.
First Piper 