The Mangaluru police on Saturday said it arrested two men in connection with the case where messages sympathetic to terror outfit Lashkar-E-Taiba and the Taliban were written on the walls of two buildings in the city. "Mangaluru City Police arrested two educated but misguided youth involved in graffiti writing on the city walls displaying support to banned terror outfits," Mangaluru Police Commissioner Vikash Kumar said. "Misguided is a serious thing in this context, not a light one," he added.
The duo was identified as Mohammed Shariq (22) from Theerthahalli in Shivamogga, and Mazz Muneer Ahmed (21), a resident of the city, the Times of India reported Mohammed Shariq runs a wholesale textile business in Theerthahalli while Mazz Muneer Ahmed is an engineering student in the city and an employee of a food delivery company for the past month. Muneer also hailed from Theerthahalli and was known to Mohammed Shariq.
On the morning of November 27, one day after the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack, the Kadri Police in Mangaluru rushed to an apartment near Circuit House Road in the city after reports emerged about messages, purportedly sympathising with terror outfit Lashkar-E-Taiba, was painted on the compound wall of the apartment. “Do not force us to invite Lashkar-E-Taiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manuvadis #LashkariZindabad,” the message on the wall read.
The Kadri Police had registered an FIR (first information report) against unidentified miscreants under section 153(a) (promoting enmity between two groups based on religion) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
Two days later, in another incident, a message was painted on the wall of an old police station outpost in Mangaluru's Court Road. “Gustak e Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan say juda” (only one punishment for offending Prophet - severing head from the body) was written in English script.
The Mangaluru police studied the CCTV footage near both buildings and later zeroed in on Mohammed Shariq as he was allegedly present near both buildings.