Students were forced to sit under the scorching sun after the Government Urdu Primary School at Mallur in Byadgi taluk was locked by the landowner.
Credit: DH Photo
Byadgi: Tensions erupted at the Government Urdu Primary School at Mallur village in Byadgi taluk of Haveri district on Monday when a landowner allegedly locked the school demanding the return of land that he claimed was being used beyond the portion he had donated.
The incident forced staff and students to sit under the sun for over two hours, creating a distressing situation.
“The land is being used beyond what I donated. This is an injustice to me and my family,” alleged landowner Veerappa Kulkarni.
In 2005, Shankrappa Kulkarni had donated 5 guntas of land to the school. However, his son claimed that an additional 15 guntas were being used without consent, leading to the current dispute.
The matter had previously reached the court nearly 10 years ago over allegations of encroachment. On learning about Monday’s incident, Tahsildar Chandrashekhar Naik and BEO S G Koti visited the school and requested the landowner to open the lock. Mediation was reportedly carried out with the help of villagers and the police to resolve the issue.