Hindu outfit chief, others acquitted

BENGALURU: Citing lack of evidence, a Mangaluru court on Monday acquitted all 30 accused, including the then chief of the Sri Ram Sene, Pramod Muthalik, in the 2009 pub attack case in the coastal city.

The activists were accused of assaulting women and men at the Amnesia pub in Mangaluru on January 24, 2009, for “tarnishing Hindu culture”. The incident had earned the group notoriety, with many condemning the Sene for its involvement in the case.

Delivering the verdict, the third judicial magistrate of the first class court said there was scant evidence, and as a result the accused were acquitted.

Speaking to HT, Muthalik said after nine years, justice had been served. “I wish to thank our legal team for helping us get justice. Our intention was not to assault anybody, we only wanted to highlight the degradation of the pub, bar and club culture that was taking shape,” he said.

Muthalik did not deny that there had been violence, but said it was the intention behind the incident that had to be taken into consideration. “It was very unfortunate that some women were assaulted, and I have previously apologised for this even in the court.”

The act was caught on camera and showed women being slapped, dragged by hair and assaulted by the mob.

A complaint was lodged by the owner of the pub, said Umesh G Shet, the first investigating officer in the case. “We did our duty, and investigated the case to the best of our ability till I was in charge,” he said. Shet was transferred later in 2009 and two other officers followed in his place.

The public prosecutor Chetan Nayak did not respond to repeated calls and messages.