Dalit girl rape, murder: Widespread protests demanding justice

Many dalit and progressive organisations across Karnataka staged protests demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits responsible for rape and murder of a dalit school girl in Vijayapura.  

It may be recalled that a dalit schoolgirl had been abducted by a gang of youth that came on a scooter and in an auto, raped and murdered on December 9 in Vijayapura city.  

One member of the gang has been identified as Deepak Mulasavalagi.  

A bundh was called in Muddebihala, Vijayapura on Thursday and was largely successful. The protesters demanded a CBI inquiry instead of a CID one which has been ordered by the government now.  

Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Kumar R Jain told DH that the CID police had arrived in the district HQ on Thursday and were hunting for the rapist-murderers.  

Chikkamagalur

In Chikkamagalur, Karnataka also, a bundh was called demanding the arrest of the gang-rapist/murderers on Friday.  Many pro-Kannada, progressive, dalit organisations participated.  They took out a protest march on MG Road and forced shops and stalls to shut down.  

Police arrested three people who tried to force an unwilling private school to shut down. Police resorted to a mild lathi charge when the protesters gathered to protest the arrest of their associates in the police station premises.      

Kolar

The  Bahujana Vidyarthi Sangha (BVS), Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishath (ABVP) and dalit organisations federation. The dharna and roadblock were staged at the College circle in Kolar city in Karnataka.

CPM members staged a similar protest in Gandhi Park.    

"If the culprits for the Vijayapura incident are not brought to justice we will stage a 'chief minister gherao' when CM Siddaramaiah comes to Kolar on December 30," the protest leaders said.