Click to play videoNew Delhi: Sri Ram Sene (SRS) chief Pramod Muthalik, who was given bail on Wednesday morning in a case of communal violence, was rearrested on Wednesday evening. He has been charged under eight sections of the Indian Penal Code, which include criminal intimidation, rioting and assault on women.
Muthalik was arrested in Belgaum on Tuesday in a different case along with 10 of his activists and was let off on bail.
The SRS had carried out the ghastly attack on women in a Mangalore pub on Saturday. However, he was arrested on Tuesday for inciting communal violence in Davangere district in Karnataka and not for the Mangalore pub attack.
Muthalik is being brought to Mangalore for further interrogation and will be produced before a local court by the January 30.
Speaking to CNN-IBN, IG Western range Karnataka, A M Prasad described the current investigation in the case and the charges that could be framed against Muthalik.
"Muthalik was already in custody in a case in Davangere on Tuesday and after that intimation was sent to the Mangalore Police. They have a body warrant issued by the Mangalore Court in the morning and that body warrant has been sent to the Davangere police for execution which has been executed now," said Prasad.
"He will be transfered into the custody of the Mangalore Police for further investigation in the case of pub attack," he added.
When Muthalik was not arrested immediately after the Mangalore pub attack, it seemed as if the state government could find nothing to connect him to the attack. And though he has been arrested now, Prasad only says that the case is under investigation.
"Muthalik has been taken into custody for further investigation in the case. The whole case is under investigation so that is why we have taken the custody to facilitate further investigation in the matter," he said.
When asked what kind of charges can be framed against Muthalik and whether there a chance that he could be let out very easily on bail again, Prasad stated, "This particular custody is as per the court orders. We will follow the court's procedure, finalise our investigation, frame charges on him and again follow the court orders during the whole procedure."
"The point is regarding framing of charges among other things, that is why we have taken the custody," he added.
Though the case is weak due to fewer witnesses, Prasad assured that security will be provided to those who stepped up to be witnesses in the case.
"Full security will be provided. All the identified persons have more or less been arrested, and in case anyone is absconding, we are on the job. We have sought police custody for some of the accused that are already under judicial custody. And on that basis we will further identify more people to see if they participated in the attack," he said.
Prasad also confirmed that the FIRs under various sections against those involved in the attack have already been registered.
"The FIRs have already been lodged under the sections of criminal intimidation, criminal trespass, assault, unlawful assembly, outrage of modesty and also under criminal conspiracy. All these charges are being investigated. We will complete our investigation if there are any other charges," he said.
Speaking with CNN-IBN from Maharashtra over the weekend, Muthalik had defended his organisation and said the pub attack was not a big issue and that the media was blowing it out of proportion.
"It's a small incident and we were only working against obscenity in public. You are not talking about the issue, which is obscenity and inappropriate behaviour," he said on the Mangalore pub attack.
Meanwhile, the Ram Sena chief has threatened a similar protest on Valentine's Day.
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