Mangaluru (Karnataka), April 30 (NationPress) In light of the disturbing mob lynching incident in Mangaluru, linked to purported 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans, the CPI-M has accused local law enforcement of attempting to obscure the facts surrounding the case. The party has called for the immediate suspension of senior police officials.

Muneer Katipalla, District Secretary of CPI-M Mangaluru, emphasized on Wednesday that the District Committee is insisting on the suspension of Inspector Shiva Prasad of Vamanjoor Police Station and Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal for their significant failure in duty related to the mob lynching incident.

He stated, “The state government needs to take these claims seriously.”

Moreover, Muneer insisted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be established, led by a senior, reputable IPS officer from outside the district, to investigate this case thoroughly.

He demanded a separate inquiry into the alleged attempts by the police department to obscure the incident. Muneer remarked, “The FIR lodged in this case serves as concrete evidence of the Mangaluru City Commissionerate Police's deliberate efforts to cover up the Kudupu mob lynching and murder incident.

“On April 27, 2025, around 3 p.m., the Vamanjoor Police Station was informed within an hour about an unidentified man being victimized by mob lynching at Kudupu Samrat Grounds. However, the police only arrived at the scene around 5 p.m., discovering the severely beaten body.”

He accused, “By that time, the police were fully aware of what had transpired. Naturally, this information would have reached the Police Commissioner too.”

“Nevertheless, for various reasons, including the involvement of influential BJP-affiliated individuals like Ravindra Nayak and Manjunath, who were closely connected to local MLAs, the police decided to undermine or potentially close the case entirely to protect the Police Commissioner’s reputation,” he alleged.

As part of their strategy, the police first got Manjunath, a key perpetrator in the mob lynching, to file a report claiming that an 'unidentified body' had been discovered, subsequently registering an Unnatural Death case, Muneer stated.

Even with full knowledge of the situation, the police issued a lookout notice implying that the victim may have died from intoxication or due to a fall after a scuffle, despite the visible injuries on the body — an attempt to absolve themselves of responsibility, he charged.

Muneer further noted, “When reporters repeatedly pressed the Police Commissioner regarding this incident, he maintained silence for 36 hours, merely advising, ‘Do not heed to rumors, please wait.’”

“It was only after social activists and political figures raised concerns the following day (April 28), and after significant discussions on social media and at the state level, did Commissioner Anupam Agrawal finally order a post-mortem and file an FIR under charges of murder and mob lynching based on the autopsy findings. Alarmingly, 32 hours had passed since the incident before this FIR was lodged.”

“For the second FIR, the police selected Keshav, a close associate of the mob that committed the lynching, as the complainant. In Keshav's statement, it was noted: ‘An unidentified person was seen running towards the ground shouting 'Pakistan, Pakistan' and not raising any 'Zindabad' slogans. Observing this, Manjunath, Sachin, and others told me, ‘He is shouting about Pakistan; we must not let him go.’ They pursued him as a group and assaulted him with sticks and kicks until he died. When I attempted to intervene, they threatened me. I left the area, and later that night, I learned that Manjunath himself had reported discovering the body,’” Muneer quoted from the complaint.

He called for an independent investigation into the events that unfolded in the 32 hours following the mob lynching, insisting, “Despite having comprehensive information about the assailants, the police first took a complaint from one of the main offenders, registered a weak Unnatural Death case, issued a misleading lookout notice, and withheld information from the media for 36 hours, only conducting a post-mortem and filing a murder FIR after public outrage.”

“They chose as the second complainant someone closely associated with the attackers, adding the mention of ‘Pakistan’ into the complaint after a 30-hour delay,” Muneer charged.

“All of these actions represent compelling evidence that the police department made a conscious effort to cover up the case and protect those involved in the lynching.

“Was there truly no one else who could file a complaint other than members of the attacking group? Was there no opportunity for the police to initiate a suo motu complaint in such a severe case?” Muneer questioned.