The Kushtagi police on Wednesday arrested five people from Miyapur in the taluk for practising untouchability following a complaint lodged by the Social Welfare department.
The accused had fined Rs 25,000 on Dalit parents of a two-year-old boy after the latter entered the Anjaneya Temple at the village near Hanumasagar. The incident, which came to light late on Monday, has caused public outrage.
Social Welfare Department assistant director Balachandra Sanganal took cognizance of the incident and filed a police complaint on Tuesday night after the parents of the Dalit boy and locals refuse to lodge a plaint, despite repeated requests by the taluk officials.
Deputy Commissioner Vikas Suralkar and SP T Sreedhara, along with senior officials, visited the village on Wednesday. The officers held a meeting with the villagers to create awareness against such practices among them.
Condemning the incident in question, the deputy commissioner said a secret survey is being conducted through a voluntary organisation to find any such instance of social evil practiced in the district. “If found, stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators,” the DC said.
Closure notice to hotel
Meanwhile, Channarayapatna (Hassan district) Tahsildar J B Maruti on Wednesday slapped a closure notice on a hotel owner in Dindaguru village following the complaints of practicing untouchability. The hotel owner, belonging to an upper caste, is said to have barred the Dalits from entering his eatery. He used to serve food to Dalits outside the hotel.
Tahsildar Maruthi said that he visited the hotel and issued a closure notice to the hotel owner.
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