Security has been heightened in Mangalore as Sri Rama Sene president Pramod Muthalik was to be produced in a magistrate's court here in connection with the January 24 pub attack where several women were assaulted by activists of the Right-wing Hindu group.

The Sri Rrama Sene, which has 1,000-1,500 cadre in the coastal Karnataka region, has threatened to carry out a state-wide bandh if Muthalik is not released by Thursday evening. The co-convenor of the state unit of the Sene, Jitesh Kumar, said that the group will continue agitating against 'the dilution of Hindu culture and tradition'.

Several leaders linked to Right-wing groups in the region chose to be incommunicado anticipating possible preventive detentions by the police ahead of Muthalik's production in court in the coastal district.

The Mangalore police had arrested Muthalik on Wednesday evening for criminal conspiracy to attack the pub soon after he obtained bail in connection with a case of inciting violence in the central Karnataka district of Davangere.

Inspector General of Police for the western range of Karnataka A M Prasad said that Muthalik will be produced in court on Thursday morning, but refused to specify details on account of security concerns.

While the attention has shifted to the arrest of key Sene leaders like Muthalik and Prasad Attavar, seven of the 27 youths arrested in connection with the attack have secured bail in the case and have been released as of Wednesday. The district police say that they have not been able to record the statements of people who were present at the pub. Though a team from the National Commission for Women is expected to talk to the victims of the attack in Mangalore, the district police have said that they have not been able to find the victims despite the available video evidence.

... contd.