Mangaluru: Court Acquits All 19 Accused in 2015 Assault Case in Attavar

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 16, 2025: A decade after a shocking assault incident in the city, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru on Saturday acquitted all 19 accused in the case. The accused were charged with assaulting and stripping a 28-year-old man, tying him to an electric pole in Attavar, after allegedly finding him with a female colleague from a different community.

The incident, which occurred on August 24, 2015, involved members reportedly affiliated with right-wing organizations. The victim, identified as Shakir Ali, a sales supervisor at a local supermarket, was assaulted while handing over ₹2,000 to a female colleague near KMC Hospital in Attavar.

According to the chargesheet, a group of men confronted Shakir upon learning his identity. They assaulted him with a rod, helmet, and stones, stripped him, and tied him to an electric pole before fleeing the scene as a crowd gathered.

The accused, identified as Santhosh Poojary alias Santhosh, Abhiram alias Abhi, Vijaya Bhandary alias Vijaya, Rajesh Kottary, and 15 others, faced charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, wrongful restraint, assault, attempt to murder, and dacoity.

The prosecution examined 19 witnesses, including the victim, during the trial. However, the First Additional District and Sessions Judge, H.S. Mallikarjuna Swamy, acquitted all accused, citing insufficient evidence to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This verdict has drawn significant attention, with legal experts and community members reflecting on the challenges of securing convictions in sensitive cases involving communal tensions.