Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (PMD)

Shivamogga, Oct 20: When the whole state celebrated Deepavali, the festival of lights, a family spent it in darkness. The family in question is facing social boycott in Mutuguppe near Soraba, since Monday, October 9, after the head of the family bypassed the village heads and approached the police about an assault on him.

Kalappa was attacked by a local mob during the Ganeshotsava procession. He complained to police about it. Now he with his family is facing boycott for this reason.

The problem lay in the fact that Kalappa approached the police despite being told not to by the village leaders. The leaders called him for a meeting to settle the dispute. But Kalappa did not attend it. The remedy was to ostracize the family.

Kalappa's family was, therefore, not allowed into the village temple, deprived of water from wells, banned from conversing with villagers, and ousted from work.

Kalappa lodged a complaint on Monday, October 16 against seven locals in regard to the discrimination, at Soraba police station.

The case is yet to be registered.

The police, on Thursday, October 19, visited the village and collected information from locals on the incident of discrimination, said Soraba tahasildar LB Chandrashekar, to a daily. He said that the accused were asked to be present at the station.