Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Jul 28: A team led by assistant superintendent of police (ASP) from Puttur, Rahul Kumar, arrested a woman relating to the incident in which fingers of a Dalit youth from Neriya in the taluk were severed, and his hands injured, with the help of weeding machine. Members of a family had allegedly inflicted the above injuries on the youth, besides spraying chilly powder on his injuries to inflict more pain.
Pushpa (45), wife of Gopal Gowda from Neriya stands arrested. Her eleven-year-old son was handed over to the care of her relatives. The DySP said that the main accused, Gopal Gowda, his sister, Damayanti, and car driver, have gone missing.
It is gathered that on Sunday morning, Gopal Gowda and his family members, equipped with lethal weapons and chilly powder, reached near the house of Sundar Malekudiya in a Maruti Omni van, and began to remove weeds with the help of a machine. As soon as Sundar objected, they attacked him with the machine, as a result of which fingers of his right hand were chopped off, while the left hand was injured. The two women, instead of taking pity at the condition of injured Sundar, sprayed chilly power on his injuries to multiply his agony, it is said.
Gopal Gowda (65), happens to be a former taluk panchayat member. He had married again about 13 years back after his first wife died. The land in which Sundar Malekudiya lives, was supposed to be forest land. However, when Sundar applied for issuance of documents for this land under the relevant act, forest department said it was revenue land. After he came to know about this development, Gopal Gowda claimed ownership of land, stating that he is the rightful owner of the land as per provisions relating to government land bordering private property. He made efforts to evict Sundar from there, but failed repeatedly.
The ASP, during his visit to the spot, found a shirt smeared with chilly powder and a severed finger.
It is learnt that about 20 years back, Gopal Gowda had entered the house of Sundar Malekudiya when the latter's eldest son was in the cradle, and cut off the ropes holding the cradle. When Sundar's wife, Revati, objected, he hit her with a sharp object, as a result of which even now she is unable to use her fingers. This plight has forced her eldest son, Poornesh, to cut short education after PUC and begin work to support the family. Other three children of Sundar are studying. Sundar, it is gathered, had recently been discharged from a private hospital where he was admitted for six months for treatment of a tumour in his stomach.
Beltangady taluk CPM has condemned the incident. District secretary of CPM, Vasant Achary, said that a protest will be held at in the town on July 31, demanding immediate arrest of Gopal Gowda and other accused. The press conference was attended by CPM taluk secretary, B M Bhat, CPM taluk committee member, Vasant Nada, Vittal Malekudiya, and several others. On behalf of Democratic Youth Forum of India, a memorandum was handed over to the district superintendent of police by Shekhar L and others, seeking stern action against the culprits.