Mangaluru: Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik and 30 other members of the right-wing organisation were on Monday acquitted in the infamous Mangalore pub attack case of 2009, which had led to outrage all over the country for moral policing.
The third judicial magistrate of first class court in Mangaluru cited lack of evidence for the acquittal. Muthalik hailed the decision as a victory. "We believe that this is a triumph. Cases under some 10 sections were filed against us and we have emerged victorious today," he told reporters outside the court.
A group of 40 activists allegedly belonging to Sri Ram Sene had barged into the pub "Amnesia – The Lounge" on January 24, 2009, and beat up a group of young women and men, claiming the women were violating traditional Indian values. Two women were hospitalised.
The video of the incident had become one of the most watched clips on YouTube. The state deputy convenor of the Sene, Prasad Attavar, had at the time claimed responsibility for the attack.
“It was a spontaneous reaction against women who flouted traditional Indian norms of decency. These women were Hindus who dared to get close to Muslim men,” he had said.
The incident had sparked off massive outrage against Muthalik, with youngsters starting a "Pink Chaddi Campaign", a silent protest against moral policing by sending him pink under garments.
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