Daijiworld Media Network - Bagalkot (SP)

Bagalkot, Nov 20: The villagers of Konkanakoppa in Badami taluk in the district were feeling helpless and agitated over a series of thefts that had taken place in the area since the last three months. It is said that they believed an Australian citizen, Williams K James, who came to their village on Monday November 18 night to be a thief and manhandled him.

During August this year, the village had seen thefts in five households within the gap of a week. The thieves had taken away cash, gold ornaments etc besides two goats. The thieves remained untraced and the villagers used to treat strangers suspiciously, it is said. The villagers had arranged night patrol by voluntary groups but they failed to find the thief.

It is said that Williams, who bought a ticket from Badami to Bagalkot at 9 pm on Monday got down at Konkanakoppa, directly went into the village, and hid himself near the roof of a house. A boy who saw him hiding at night shouted for help. The women rushed there. When Williams tried to push his way through them, some women were hurt. The villagers tied him up to an electric pole. Some villagers informed police who took away the injured foreigner, the locals said.

The police took away eight men for questioning, while women shifted base to houses of relatives by locking their houses.

It is said that Williams from Melbourne had undertaken tour of India alone since September 27. He had arrived at Badami from Kochi, Kerala and began to stay at Bagalkot, it is learnt.