In a press meet on Wednesday, former mayor Purushotham said a few upper caste men and women abused and threatened to kill Govindaraju and his parents, the victims of atrocity. Though, the family has lodged a complaint with the police and named the accused in their copy, the police has not acted so far. Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagadeesh was deliberately going slow on the investigation and was trying to shield the accused, they alleged.
The incident happened on Aug 17 when Govindaraju and his parents were abused and assaulted when they objected to cattle and goats belonging to Shobha and Rathnamma which were grazing on the small flower garden in front of their house. During the argument, the two women abused Govindaraju’s caste, even as Kembuthi Gowda and his son Kiran joined the fight. Both men pulled Govindaraju on street and assaulted him when villagers intervened to end the fight.
Later in the day, according to Govindaraju, the accused Ningappa, Krishnegowda, Prakash, Kumar Swamy Gowda and Nagu arrived in his residence in Ambedkar Nagar in the town and threatened his parents of setting the house on fire and killing him when he was out of home.
The next day Govindaraju filed a complaint with the police. Acting upon the complaint, the police booked case on Prevention of Atrocities Act. However, they have failed to arrest the accused, they alleged.
District president of Bahujan Samaj Party Krishnamurthy alleged that members of the upper caste families announced in open amidst the sound of drums that the family be ostracised if they did not withdraw the case. All these incidents happened infront of DySP Jagadeesh. But, the officer remained a mute spectator to this open violation of the law.
He has failed to act in the previous cases, one in Kuppe and other in Hampapura in the district, he alleged and urged the Inspector General of Police A S N Murthy to either suspend the official or transfer him elsewhere.
“The DySP is biased as he belongs to the Vokkaliga community as the accused,” he stated.
They said the MLA Sa Ra Mahesh, though hailing from the same constituency also remained silent on the issue.
Mayor Purushotham has appealed the Pejawar seer Visveshatheertha Swamiji to stop his hunger strikes and tour of dalit colonies. “If something wrong happened with the seer owing to fasting, the community will be blamed again. The dalits know their responsibility. They won’t need any lessons. Instead, the seer should tour the upper caste colonies and sensitise to stop humiliating or carrying out atrocity against dalits,” he said.
While, BSP leader Krishnamurthy alleged that the seer’s visit to dalit colonies was to gain support of the community for the Anti-cow Slaughter Bill of the State Government.
