Dharwad: The family members and relatives of the youths, who have been arrested during a protest staged at Sirsi in connection with the Honnavar violence and have been lodged at the Central Prison in Dharwad, have demanded early release and withdrawal of cases filed under IPC Section 307 against their wards.

A total of 63 youths between the age of 19 to 35 have been arrested by the police in Sirsi on Monday evening and they have been shifted to Central Prison in Dharwad on Tuesday afternoon.

The family members who reached the jail premises have been pleading the police, government to release their children as they are innocent and were not involved in any violent activities.

They alleged that the police used force while arresting their children. “The police were in no mood to hear their plea and dragged their children from home and lodged them in jail,” they said.

“After the violence broke out during the rally in Sirsi, several students were on their way to colleges. However, the police started canning them and were arrested. Even, their mobile phones have been snatched away and the bikes too have been seized,” they said.

While the incident was taking place, a few youth belonging to minority religion were walking freely on the road holding lethal weapons in hands and pelting stone on members of another community.

The police, who were also on the spot, were targeting the silent protesters instead of taking action against the arsonists.

The whole incident has put the police officials in a poor light as they have lost morality and behaved ruthlessly with the youths, they charged. This apart, the arrested youths have been beaten black and blue by the police in retaliation for setting the IGP’s car on fire by miscreants in Honnavar.

The people will not tolerate any injustice to the innocent people and it is the responsibility of the government to protect the interests of the parents whose children have been arrested, they said.