Mangaluru City Police has extended the curfew in the city till midnight of December 22. In a late Thursday evening notification, the Mangaluru Police Commissioner, said the curfew would be in force in the commissionerate limits from 6 pm on December 19 to midnight of December 22.
This follows the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the violent incidents that followed in Mangaluru city on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Home Department has suspended the mobile Internet data service of all mobile service providers for 48 hours beginning 10 pm on December 19, in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru city and Dakshina Kannada district.
In a late Thursday evening notification, Rajneesh Goyal, Additional Chief Secretary, Karnataka Home Department, said: “… in order to prevent the misuse of social media platforms that disturb peace and tranquility and to maintain the law and order situation, I hereby promulgate this Notification under the provision of Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, read with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Service (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 to prohibit the mobile Internet data service of all mobile service providers for the next 48 hours beginning from 10 pm of December 19, 2019, in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru City and Dakshina Kannada District.”
He said in the notification that incidents involving violation of Section 144 of the CrPC have been reported in different parts of Mangaluru city, and the Mangaluru Police Commissioner has informed about the probability of more such incidents affecting the law and order situation.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru, has also said that reports from the field show that incidents of vandalism and arson are likely to spread and create a serious law and order situation.
The notification said social media platforms are likely to be used to spread rumours and also to transmit information including pictures, videos and text that have the potential to inflame passions and exacerbate the law and order situation.
The notification said the Director-General and Inspector General of Police, Karnataka, has requested that Internet services may be suspended in the jurisdiction of the Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate and Dakshina Kannada district for the 48 hours beginning 10 pm on December 19 in view of the violent incidents in Mangaluru City.