Kundapur: Mixed response witnessed for taluk bandh related to Ratna’s mystery death

By Bernard J D Costa
Pics by Shivkumar Hosangadi
Bellevision Media Network

Kundapur, Jul 24, 2014 : The city witnessed mixed response to the call of taluk bandh, related to recent mysterious death of pre-university student Ratna Kottari, here on Wednesday July 23.

 

The call for bandh was given jointly by Hiriya Nagarika Vedike, state Raita Morcha, ABVP, city auto rickshaw drivers and owners’ Association, bus owners’ Association and hotel owners’ Association.

 

The city streets wore deserted look as 95 percent of shops voluntary drawn their shutters.  The state-run buses were plying as usual, while the private bus operators abruptly stopped plying their buses in support of taluk band.  The authorities of schools and colleges announced holiday on account of poor attendance of students at the classes.  The office goers were inconvenienced the most because of bandh.

 

 

A silent protest rally was held from Shastry roundabout till Tahsildar’s office, wherein the protesters presented a memorandum to taluk authorities urging fast justice on mystery death of Ratna.   The protestors wore black bands to express their anguish.

 

Byndoor block BJP president Sukumar Shetty urged the police for speedy investigation to the case.

 

Sukumar said, ‘Even though 15 days have passed since Ratna’s death, the police have not been able to trace the murderers. The culprits must be caught and punished stringently.’

 

Kundapur BJP block president Rajesh Kaveri, Shankar Ankadakatte of BJP Yuva Morcha and others were present on the occasion.

 

 

The police department deployed tight security during the procession to avoid any threat to law and order situation.

 

The seventeen-year-old Ratna was found dead in a forest area at Alandoor near Byndoor on July 12, three days after she went missing. Though almost two2 weeks have passed since her body was found, the police are yet to arrest the accused.