8 muggers held for moral policing

Eight activists of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike were arrested for allegedly beating over a dozen youths including five girls at a weekend party on outskirts of this Karnataka city, police said. "We have arrested eight for moral policing and assaulting five girls and eight boys who were celebrating a birthday party at a resort (Morning Mist)," a police official said.

Hooligan are back: This is the second time that such an attack on women has taken place in the city. In January 2009, a group of Sri Ram Sene activists had thrashed women and men at a pub. Representation Pic

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalakrishnan said preliminary investigation indicated there was no rave party at the resort as claimed by the accused.

"About 20 young people were celebrating the birthday of one of their colleagues. The presence of beer bottles, soft drinks and food packets is no reason to suspect a rave party was on," Gopalakrishnan said.

The youth were students of Sahyadri College, Sri Devi College and Roshini Nilaya College. Police identified the accused from the footage of Kannada news channels and zeroed in on them after a night-long search.

"The activists fled from the scene as police rushed to the resort. A mob gathered around the spot after the activists alleged that a rave party was going on," Gopalakrishnan said.
As the raid on the resort and assault were video-recorded by reporters of news channels, police are investigating their role in the incident.