Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jul 27: Fingers of a Dalit youth were allegedly cut off by a landlord at Neriya in the tauk on the night of Sunday July 26.

Fingers of Sundar Malekudiya (45), son of Babu Malekudiya from Kataje in Neriya got severed in this incident. Sundar's hands also suffered injuries. He has been admitted into a hospital at Mangaluru.

On behalf of the injured, locals complained that a local land owner named Gopal Gowda had committed this dastardly act.

Gopal Gowda was cutting the weeds at a place with the help of a weeding machine. It is learnt that Sundar and Gopal had pre-existing enmity relating to land dispute. Sundar objected about conducting weeding operation in the disputed land.

Gopal, angered at this objection, lifted the weeder that was in operation, and poked it at Sundar. Sundar tried to block the machine from hitting him, and in the end, lost fingers of his right hand. His left hand too is injured, it is gathered.

A complaint was made to the police about this incident. The police are expected to act on this complaint in a day or two, it is said.