MANGALURU: One car and six two-wheelers were damaged and a woman police officer was pushed around when two groups clashed with each other with cricket stumps and stones over alleged old rivalry here late Saturday night.
Mangaluru City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said a suo motu case has been taken up and 15 people have been arrested in the incident. The woman police sub-inspector, identified as Shobha from Barke station, has filed a complaint about the clash and the assault. Sources claimed that an old enmity set off the fresh bout of clashes between the two groups, but police officers said they could comment only after conducting investigations.
In her complaint, the woman officer said she and police constable Karibasappa were on night rounds near KSRTC bus stand when a biker informed them that two groups were clashing near Sai Nest Service Apartment at Ballalbagh. The officer asked Hoysala patrolling vehicle and staff at the station to rush to the spot.
On reaching the spot, she said they found nearly 20 people pulling and pushing and attacking one another with cricket stumps, pipes, sticks and stones. They indiscriminately wielded cricket stumps, damaging vehicles parked closeby. Shobha said that when she intervened to find what the dispute was about and offer a resolution, Dhiraj, an accused, allegedly pushed her away and flung her walkie-talkie. A few others prevented her from discharging her duties by blocking her path.
