The Mangaluru police have arrested two persons in connection with graffiti that was written in support of Islamic terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban in different parts of the city last week.
According to the reports, the Mangaluru police have arrested two culprits identified as Mohammad Shaarik and Maz Munir Ahmed, both from Theerthahalli.
The 22-year-old Mohammed Shaarik (22) has completed B.Com and running a cloth shop in Theerthahalli. Another accused, Maz Munir Ahmed is currently studying B.Tech from a private college in Mangaluru. The accused Munir Ahmed worked as an online food delivery agent in Mangaluru, the police said.
Earlier, there were media reports that the Kadri police had nabbed a person named Nazeer Mohammad in connection with the case. Nazeer Mohammad was reported to an online food delivery agent as well. However, the police denied such arrest later.
Accused committed crime to gain publicity
Addressing the media, Mangaluru police commissioner Vikash Kumar said that the accused committed such a crime to gain publicity. He added that the two accused painted the graffiti at court road three weeks before they wrote on the walls at Bejai.
“The graffiti at court road was written in Urdu language but in English script, but the graffiti went unnoticed as people here could not understand the language. The two accused then decided to write at Bejai wall of an apartment to gain publicity,” he added.
The police commissioner said the accused were traced based on their networks. He added that both the accused will produce them to the court to seek police custody and further investigation will be conducted.
“We will also find out if they have any links to any organizations,” the commissioner said.
Graffiti hailing Islamic terror, threatening non-Muslims spotted in Mangaluru
In a horrific incident last week, two graffiti – one hailing radical Islamist terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban and another threatening non-Muslims, were spotted at circuit road in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
On November 26, on the anniversary of the ghastly terror attacks in 2008, the first graffiti threatening to bring Lashkar-e-Toiba and Taliban’s help to eliminate ‘Sanghis’ and ‘Manuvadis’ was spotted by the locals.
The graffiti read, “Do not force us to invite Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban to Deal with Sanghis and Manvedis (Manuvadis)”. Further, in the corner, a hashtag is painted with the words “Lashkar Zindabad”. A case was registered subsequently at Kadri police station under section 153 and other sections related to causing destruction to public property.
Mangaluru: Graffiti supporting terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban seen in Kadri earlier (photo 1 and 2), now covered (photo 3).
— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2020
“We have covered it now. All CCTV cameras in the locality are being checked. We are looking for all possible clues,” says police. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/H9oOenqFJU
Two days later, another disturbing graffiti was spotted in the city. The inscription was found outside an old police outpost in the court premises in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
“Gustak-e-Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan say juda (The only punishment for insulting Prophet Muhammad is beheading),” the graffiti read.
Another graffiti in Mangalore. 1st they invited ‘LeT to deal with Sanghis’ and now ”Gusthak e Rasool ki ek hi Saza, Sar Tan se Juda’. pic.twitter.com/aBPPkkjPCQ
— Facts (@BefittingFacts) November 29, 2020
The graffiti incident in Mangaluru had caused a tense situation in the port city of Karnataka.
