Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, May 15: Saroja, a dalit woman of Kemral, Kinnigoli explained the amount of physical and mental torture she went through for the past five months while she worked for Narayan Shetty, a 70 year old man, during a press meet here on Monday, May 14.
She joined the work five months back on the pretext of having paid Rs 100 every week by the owner. In the press meet, she complained that the owner made her slog in the farm and refused to pay on time. When she demanded money for her work, she was assaulted. She was repeatedly told that you are dalit and threatened to kill her if she asks for the salary again.
Saroja said that on May 3, when she went to Narayan Shetty’s house to claim her salary and quit the work, she was beaten by the other laborers and was thrown in the garden. Meantime, her husband (Krishna) came to her rescue and admitted her to Mulki government hospital, She added.
She then went on to register a case. Reportedly, Narayan Shetty asked for a compromise and withdrawal of the case. When she did not consent, she was forced to sign a blank paper by one of the lawyers, she grieved.
There were reports in the Kannada newspapers alleging that Saroja had taken an amount of Rs 1, 40 000 as a loan. Moreover, the dalit leaders like Narayan Salian, Vishu Kumar and S P Anand and others had demanded Rs 5 lakh to get the case withdrawn, press release stated.
"The charges of me taking money are baseless, and they are brought in to digress from the truth", Saroja said in the press meet and demanded for justice.