Date:06/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/06/stories/2008020661600600.htm

Karnataka

Kanakapura tense over youth’s murder

Special Correspondent

A 19-year-old was attacked by a group of teenagers

BANGALORE: Tension prevailed in Kankapura town in Ramanagara district after a 19-year-old youth, who was attacked by a group of teenagers on Monday evening, died of injuries in the early hours of Tuesday.

The police said that on Monday evening two groups of youths quarrelled over using a cricket pitch at a ground in Kanakapura town. Later, Haleem (19), a tinkering mechanic and a resident of Khalaknagar locality, was attacked by eight youths from the rival group near a restaurant. He was seriously injured after the assailants smashed his head with a boulder.

Haleem, who was shifted to a hospital in Bangalore, died here in the early hours of Tuesday. On learning about Haleem’s death, a group of people, including members of some organisations, took out a procession in Kanakapura. They gathered in front of the Town police station demanding immediate arrest of the assailants.

The police said that security had been heightened in Kankapura to ensure that the issue does not take a communal turn and lead to law and order problems. Senior police and revenue officials visited Kanakapura and pacified the protesters.

Meanwhile, the police have detained a 17-year-old boy, a second year PU student, in connection with the murder. It is said that those who had attacked Haleem were PU students of a private college in the town and dropouts from the same college. The Kanakapura town police have registered a case and are on the lookout for the accused.