With the country still reeling in shock after watching the Guwahati molestation video earlier this month, another similar incident in Mangalore was caught on camera, which showed a group of men manhandling students in the name of morality.
The shameful incident, which took place on Saturday around 6 pm, involved a group of men claiming to be activists of Hindu Jagarana Vedike, barging into a room at Morning Mist Resort, where few college students were having a birthday bash.
A local Kannada news channel aired the video, which showed the mob manhandling a girl and slapping another one mercilessly. The video clip also showed another student being dragged along the floor by the attackers.
The proclaimed HJV didn't spare the male students, dragging one boy down the stairs after he was beaten. The shocking video showed the attackers continuing their assault on the boy, even as he pleaded with them to stop hitting during his birthday party that he was celebrating with friends.
Justifying the assault on the college students, the attackers allegedly claimed that they were having a rave party and were indulging in activities culturally unacceptable to Hindu traditions.
After being alerted by hotel officials, police arrived at the Morning Mist resort and arrested some of the attackers. Authorities are yet to ascertain the number of people involved in the attack.
City corporator Mohan Padil, who was one of the accused, justified the assaults, alleging that the students were indulged in illegal activities.
"It was not right on the part of the men to take the law into their hands and attack the girls. The media should have tried to protect the girls, instead of instigating the attackers. At least they should have informed the police," Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh was quoted saying to Deccan Herald, while dismissing the allegation of any illegal activity in the homestay.
It's also reported that the victims alleged that the attackers robbed them off their mobile phones and wallets.
This incident is akin to the infamous Mangalore pub attack by Sri Rama Sene activists, who in 2009, assaulted several young men and women in a city pub, alleging that the girls went against Indian culture.
The latest Mangalore resort attacks raised several questions on the role of the channel's videographer, who filmed the incident. It may be recalled the Newslive channel and its crew came under fire for recording the entire act of a mob molesting a minor girl in Guwahati, instead of coming to her rescue.
Gaurav Jyoti Neog, the reporter of Newslive who filmed the Guwahati molestation incident, was accused of instigating the mob to assault the girl and was later arrested.
