In a horrific case of caste-based atrocity, a 14-year-old Dalit boy was tied to a pole and thrashed mercilessly by local residents over suspicion of theft in Kempadenahalli village in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapura district. The boy, Yashvanth, was accused of stealing the earrings of the daughter of a resident.
A video of the purported incident, which took place on the night of Thursday, September 29, was shot by villager residents and later shared online, following which the police took cognisance and registered a First Information Report (FIR) under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The FIR names 10 persons as the accused — Narayanaswamy, Naveen, Doddegowda, Harish, Ambika and five others — and states that they tied the boy to a pole and assaulted him.
In another video shot by villager residents, the boy’s mother Rathnamma said that the accused broke into their home and dragged her son outside. When she questioned them, they attacked her too. “They beat him with chappals and thrashed me.”
“They asked us which caste we belong to and said that people of our caste shouldn’t live in their village and that we should all be killed,” said Rathnamma, who also said that the accused screamed casteist slurs against her family. She added that the accused boasted that they would not get into trouble for their actions, “They said no one can stop them.”
Speaking to TNM, Chikkaballapura Superintendent of Police (SP) Nagesh DL said, “We have arrested three among the 10 accused and the investigation is ongoing.”
Currently, Yashvanth and Rathnamma are being treated at the Chintamani Taluk Hospital.
Recently, another instance of caste-based atrocity was reported in the state’s Kolar district. A Dalit boy's family was fined Rs 60,000 for the simple act of touching a pole attached to a Hindu deity’s idol.
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