Home Minister confirms increasing safety to curb violence

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan on Saturday evening, affirmed Maldives Police Service have launched efforts to strengthen public safety to curtail gang violence.

The minister's statement had come hot in the heels of a gang assault against an individual suspected to have caused damage to a takeaway venue in Male' City.

The assault broke out in Roashanee Magu near the takeaway place. Maldives Police Service reports arresting at least one individual in suspicion of their involvement in the case, and added it has launched an investigation already.

The minister promised swift and strict action against those endangering public safety.

Police on Saturday evening, confirmed to local media that it received a report of an attempt damage to a takeaway place around 19:00hrs.

The group that assaulted the individual had reportedly fled the scene by the time police reached, the authority said.

Two individuals were arrested not long after the incident, with one of them being the individual suspected of attempting to cause damage to the property and the other being one of his assaulters.

Videos of the assault were criculating on social media platforms, which showed a group had assaulted one individual by pinning him to the ground while the attackers kept either physically hitting or throwing items at the victim.

Besides the assault in Male' City, its Deputy Mayor was also assaulted on the same day during his campaign visit in Gaafu Alifu atoll Maamendhoo.

Nareesh had visited the island to endorse PNC's candidate for Kolamaafushi constituency, Ibrahim Didi.

A local speaking to 'Sun' from the island said the assault on Nareesh was a result of a face-off between MDP and PNC supporters.