Mangaluru : The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) demanded the immediate release of Popular Front of India (PFI) activists who, it said, were peacefully protesting in front of the Police Commissioner’s office here on Tuesday.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, SDPI Dakshina Kannada president Haneef Khan Kodaje disputed the claim of Police Commissioner M. ChandraSekar that the activists attacked the police personnel. It is a ploy to book activists who were peacefully protesting and to protect police personnel who had thrashed Abdul Qureshi resulting in his renal failure, he alleged.

Mr. Kodaje said that at least five of the 65 activists who were beaten up by the police have been admitted as inpatients in hospitals owing to serious injuries. The activists were protesting against the arrest of Qureshi by the City Crime Branch Police on March 21 and his illegal detention till March 27. Due to police harassment, Qureshi has suffered renal failure and is undergoing dialysis at present, he alleged.

He alleged that the police had threatened to kill Qureshi in an encounter if he revealed the police atrocity to the Magistrate. As such, Qureshi gave a statement before the Magistrate on March 28 that the injuries on his person were due to a road accident. Mr. Kodaje demanded immediate action against CCB Inspector Sunil Naik, Police Sub-Inspector Shamsundar and others.