The Karnataka police on Friday booked twelve people and 50 unidentified persons for allegedly attacking police personnel with stones, after they forbade a group of people from offering Friday prayers at a mosque in Huballi amid the countrywide lockdown to contain coronavirus, ANI reported. At least four police constables were injured in the attack.
The five women accused in the attack have been taken into custody, while the police is still searching for others who were present at the mosque, Police Commissioner R Dilip said. “Some other Muslims also urged them [the group] to go to their homes, but they got agitated,” he added.
The police personnel, attached to the Town Police Station of the district, reportedly received injuries on their head, arm and knees in the attack.
The police said they had prevented the gathering of people from offering mass prayers at a religious site located on the Muntur Road, citing prohibitory orders in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to The Times of India.
“When the police prevented them from proceeding further, the mob swelled within no time and hundreds of women and men gathered at the site outnumbered the cops,” Assistant Commissioner South MV Mallapur told the newspaper. His statements were supported by Town police inspector SK Patil.
The police officials alleged they tried to convince people to offer prayers at their home instead as the entire nation was under a lockdown. “The advice only irritated the mob and they started abusing the cops, hurling stones and slippers at them.”
The health ministry on Friday said that the number of coronavirus cases rose by 478, the highest in a single day. The total number of Covid-19 cases has increased to 2,547, with 62 deaths.
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