Fisher community protests police arrests in Malpe

A large number of fishermen protested at the Malpe fisheries harbor in Udupi on Saturday. They were upset with the police for arresting five members of their community. This happened after an incident where a woman, a headload worker, was assaulted for allegedly stealing fish. The assault took place on March 18, and involved tying her to a tree. Dayanand Suvarna, president of the Malpe Fishermen’s Association, spoke at the protest. He said that while the assault was wrong, the arrests were unnecessary. He explained that the two parties had already settled the matter with police help. The police arrested the suspects after a video of the assault went viral. Suvarna mentioned that there have been previous thefts at the harbor, and local fishermen are frustrated with the lack of police action. He believes the incident was fueled by anger over these thefts. He also called for better security at the harbor, suggesting that his association could manage it effectively. Former State Fisheries Minister Pramod Madhwaraj defended the fishermen's actions. He stated that the assault was a reaction to the woman's alleged theft. He claimed she admitted to stealing and suggested that the community's response was justified. Other local leaders, including former MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat, also spoke, urging the police to drop the case against those arrested.