No public representatives, including Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister V. Sunil Kumar, attended the peace committee meeting convened by Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner KV Rajendra in Mangaluru on Saturday.
Dr. Rajendra told reporters that another meeting of the Peace Committee with the public representatives and leaders of different communities would be convened soon. “The meeting held today was with the officials,” he said.
On Saturday, Shri Rajendra presided over the meeting in his office. In attendance were Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar, Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Devajyothi Ray, Superintendent of Police Hrishikesh Sonawane and Mangaluru Municipal Corporation Commissioner Akshay Sridhar. Apart from officials, some representatives of political parties and bhajan temples attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Mr. Alok Kumar said that the city police would collect evidence and then arrest those involved in the murder of Mohammad Fazil. No hasty action will be taken, he said, denying reports that some people have been arrested in the case.
Giving information about the steps taken to strengthen the meetings of the Peace Committee, Shri Alok said that Beat Committees, Mohalla Committees and Youth Committees would be activated in the police stations. He said that people from different sections of the society can participate in regular peace committee meetings at police stations and other levels and give their suggestions for maintaining peace.
Dr. Rajendra called upon the people not to be misled by sentiments and said that the authenticity of the information posted on social media should be ascertained before reacting to it. He said that senior citizens should take initiative to make the youth aware of this fact.
Mr. Shashi Kumar said that essential services will not be affected between 6 pm to 6 am on August 1, when non-essential movement is banned across the district. Mr. Sonawane said that steps are being taken to repair the rain affected CCTVs at various places in the district.
Some of the people who attended the meeting asked the authorities to take steps to regularize news channels, which are continuously showing incidents that increase communal tension.
Mr. Ray and Mr. Sridhar also spoke.