Mangalore Pub Attack Case: In the assault that was caught on camera in 2009, the women at the pub were accused of “loose morals.”

How 26 Men Seen Attacking Women In Mangaluru Pub Got Away: 10 Points

Mangalore Pub Attack: Pramod Muthalik and Sri Ram Sene are notorious for their medieval-style diktats.

BENGALURU Young women ran as they were chased by goons, slapped, kicked and dragged by their hair. As the terrified women tried to dodge the blows, some tripped and others were pushed to the ground. Visuals of this hooliganism at a pub in Mangaluru disgusted the nation and led to calls for toughest punishment. But nine years on, 25 attackers and their controversial chief Pramod Muthalik have been let off by a court that said on Monday there wasn’t enough evidence. The court order has revived the feelings of revulsion and outrage that citizens felt in 2009.
Here are the top 10 facts on the 2009 Mangaluru pub attack case:
  1. Pramod Muthalik, the chief of the Sri Ram Sene, was far from remorseful yesterday when he called the verdict “the victory of truth” in a video statement.
  2. “My aim was only to protest against the increasing pub culture. This judgement is the answer for those who opposed us and called us goons,” said the Sene Chief.
  3. In the assault that was caught on camera, the women at the Amnesia – The Lounge Pub in 24 January, 2009, were accused of “loose morals.” It inspired many more attacks in Mangaluru in the name of moral policing.
  4. Video proof is not admissible in court. Perhaps out of fear, very few of the women came forward to testify against the Sri Ram Sene men. Even those that did, backed off because of the media attention and threats.
  5. Muthalik and his outfit are notorious for their medieval-style diktats against what they believe is “cultural invasion.”
  6. “I am not surprised but feel disheartened. What is the signal to our young?” said activist Vidya Dinker.
  7. In a statement, a group called the Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development has demanded that the state government appeal the ruling to ensure that the assaulters are punished.
  8. With state elections a few months away, the state’s Congress government may be inclined to challenge the order; the pub attack took place when the opposition BJP was in power.
  9. In 2014, months ahead of the national election, Muthalik was recruited by the BJP and then disowned within five hours. An embarrassed BJP leadership in Delhi expressed surprise at the decision of the party’s unit in Karnataka.
  10. In 2010, a year after the attack, Muthalik called the attack a “big mistake”, one that blighted his outfit and got it a rogue tag.

In 2010, a year after the Mangaluru attack, Pramod Muthalik called the attack a “big mistake”.

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