FIR against Hindu activists after car carrying Muslim man and Hindu woman intercepted in Bhatkal

Bhatkal, 18 June: Police have registered a case against several members of Hindu organisations after they allegedly intercepted a car carrying a Muslim man and a Hindu woman in Bhatkal on Wednesday evening.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place on the Bhatkal-Sagar Road after members of Hindu organisations received information that a Muslim youth was travelling with a Hindu woman.

The activists reportedly stopped the vehicle and questioned the occupants. The woman was later sent back to her residence in Bhatkal, while the youth was taken to the police station and handed over to the authorities.

Police subsequently registered an FIR against the Hindu activists involved in the incident.

The action triggered protests from Hindu organisations, which argued that the case was unwarranted as the woman had been safely sent home and the youth had been handed over to the police without any harm.

Following the registration of the FIR, hundreds of activists gathered outside the Bhatkal Town Police Station and staged a protest. They demanded an explanation from the police and questioned the reasons for booking their leaders.

Police officials said Bhatkal is a sensitive town and immediate action was necessary to maintain law and order. They added that a detailed investigation into the incident is underway.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the nature of the relationship between the man and the woman or the specific sections under which the FIR has been registered.