Mon May 05 15:20:44 UTC 2025: ## VHP Leader Booked for Public Mischief Following Mangaluru Bandh
**Mangaluru, May 5, 2025** – Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharan Pumpwell has been booked by the Mangaluru East Police on charges of public mischief, damage to property, promoting enmity between communities, and abetment to crime. The charges stem from Pumpwell’s call for a bandh (shutdown) in Dakshina Kannada on May 1st, following the murder of Suhas Shetty in Bajpe on April 1st.
Police allege that Pumpwell made provocative statements to the media at A.J. Hospital, inciting violence. While many shops closed on May 2nd, the bandh was not entirely successful, with buses continuing to operate. However, Pumpwell’s followers reportedly attacked KSRTC buses with stones, creating a tense situation and disrupting public order.
The police have registered a case against Pumpwell under sections 353(2), 196(1)(b), 49, and 324 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The investigation is ongoing.
First Piper 