Dalit man assaulted while performing pooja in temple in Karnataka

In another instance of caste discrimination in Karnataka, a 46-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten up by members of a dominant caste on October 7, in Bangarpet Taluk's Dodduru Village for performing puja at a shrine. Budikote police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against six persons for allegedly beating up and attacking the Dalit man with a sword.

The incident took place in Budikote police station limits in Kolar district. Speaking to TNM, the man Muniraju, said, “I had accidentally called Siddayya on October 6, and following which we had an argument over me calling him when he was at a funeral in Gottaluru village.” He added,  “The next day, I was offering pooja at Gangamma temple in Doddapura village when Siddayya, Chandrappa, and four other relatives of Siddayya attacked me with a sword and sticks,” he said. He further said that Siddayya and others abused him with casteist slurs.  Muniraju said that the accused yelled at him saying,  “Are you still here? What work do you have at our temple?”

“I was unconscious when the villagers found me and rushed me to the hospital,” he said. According to the complaint, Muniraju was left bleeding, with injuries on his head. He is currently being treated at a hospital in Kolar. Following the complaint, KGF Superintendent of Police Dharani Devi visited the spot along with other top police officials who visited the hospital and are investigating the case.

A case has been registered under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 144 ( being armed with any deadly weapon), 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 324 ( Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

This is the third reported incident of caste-based atrocity in Karnataka. A Dalit boy in the Kolar district was fined Rs 60,000 on September 29 after he allegedly entered the temple of the village deity, Bhootamma, and touched the idol. Ullerahalli in the Kolar district's Malur taluk is where the incident took place. In Kempadenahalli village of Chikkaballapura district, villagers tied a 14-year-old Dalit boy, to a pole and brutally beat him on October 2, for allegedly stealing a pair of earrings.