Mangalore, August 13 – MLA Vedavyas Kamath demanded immediate suspension of police officers who, according to witnesses, chased and assaulted a female student without any female police presence during a college protest.
The MLA said the conduct was unacceptable and urged the department to identify the officers involved and place them on leave at once. He added that the dispute between students and college administration could be settled through dialogue, not force.
Kamath clarified that he did not join the protest on the ground, but he was shocked by the footage showing male constables physically attacking the student. He reported that, in the presence of senior police officials, he called UT Khadar to request a calm handling of the demonstration.
The incident reached the district collector, the police commissioner and Legislative Council member Iwan Disoj. Media outlets later broadcast scenes of male officers assaulting a woman in the absence of any female police personnel, prompting the MLA to label the behavior as indefensible.
Regarding the broader issue of exam postponement, Kamath recalled that more than 150 colleges fall under Mangalore University. On December 25, 2025, student bodies and colleges asked authorities to defer exams scheduled for December 26 because of the Christmas holiday. Approximately 140 colleges complied with the request.
He argued that even as students continue to seek a further postponement, the administration could have examined their appeal before taking any action. Kamath also cited a case where a student was beaten after shouting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” questioning the legality of such a response.
Calling out the ruling party government, the MLA said the police appeared to act as partisan tools and warned that law‑enforcement officers must remember that governments change. He concluded by urging the swift suspension of the errant officers and stressing that justice should be delivered by listening to student grievances rather than suppressing them. The Bharatiya Janata Party and South Mangalore MP also condemned the police conduct.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK