Bangalore: The Karnataka home minister has asked the government's law officers to work out a strategy for filing a high court appeal against Monday's acquittals in the 2009 Mangalore pub attack case.

"The director of prosecution and the advocate-general will discuss the matter and advice me on the appeal," Ramalinga Reddy told a news conference on Thursday.

Sri Ram Sene activists had on January 24, 2009, allegedly barged into Amnesia The Lounge pub in Mangalore, dragged women out and molested them before journalists they had apparently tipped off, all in the name of "protecting Indian culture".

But a Mangalore court this week acquitted all the 26 accused Sene activists, including their president Pramod Muthalik, for lack of evidence.

"There were serious lapses (by police and the prosecution) - none of the key witnesses (purported women victims) cooperated with the police, and none was therefore cited as a witness," Reddy said.

Muthalik and his supporters had openly celebrated their acquittal by distributing sweets and bursting crackers. Rights activists have been pressuring the government to challenge the acquittals in the high court.

"We handed a memorandum to the home minister seeking a reinvestigation," All India Democratic Women's Association vice-chairperson Vimala K.S. said after meeting Reddy on Thursday.

Her organisation wants the prosecution to cite as witnesses all the reporters and news photographers present during the pub attack.

Vimala recalled how Bangalore police had last year called for video footage and news photographs to establish whether anyone had been molested during the New Year's Eve revelries on December 30, 2016.

"The police appealed to all media organisations to hand over any visual evidence they had. That kind of energy was missing in Mangalore, where the prosecution and the police were lax," she said. "We have also urged the home minister to ensure that the 2012 homestay attack case doesn't go the same way."

Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists had stormed a homestay in Mangalore where youngsters had gathered for a birthday party and allegedly molested the women. "That case is pending. We want to see the culprits punished in that case too," Vimala said.

State women's commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Bai said she too would write to Reddy to ensure the pub attack acquittals were challenged in the high court.

"We want to put it in writing so that things move fast and the appeal is filed at the earliest," she said.