MANGALURU: The Mangaluru court has acquitted all 39 accused individuals in the 2012 homestay attack case. This decision comes more than 12 years after the assault and harassment of 13 college students at a homestay in the city. The 6th Additional District and Sessions Judge S.V. Kantharaju cleared Subash Padil and 38 other activists of Hindu Jagaran Vedike of all charges.
The incident took place on July 28, 2012, when 13 degree students gathered for a birthday party at the Morning Mist homestay near Padil Junction. A group of 40 Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists, led by Subhash Padil, entered the homestay and allegedly assaulted the students. The victims, including the daughter of a police inspector, claimed that the activists tore clothes, misbehaved, and took videos and photographs of them.
The videos and photographs of the incident were widely circulated, causing significant mental trauma to the victims. Video journalist Naveen Soorinje, who witnessed the attack, reported the incident, prompting the local Mangaluru Rural police to intervene and take the victims to safety.
After a lengthy legal process, the court has now acquitted all 39 accused individuals, bringing closure to this long-standing case.
The city police arrested a total of 44 individuals, including journalists Soorinje and Sharanraj, and filed charges against them. Following the decision of the state government, Soorinje was discharged on January 4, 2018.
During the trial, three accused individuals passed away, and one minor was acquitted by the Juvenile Justice Board. A total of 39 accused individuals faced trial in court.
In the evidence presented, complainant Mr. Vijay and one of the female victims provided a detailed account of the events. While other victims mentioned the assault, they were unable to identify the perpetrators. The prosecution submitted photographs and videos related to the incident as evidence in court.
