Four arrested for 'assaulting' Sri Ram Sene members in Belagavi

Belagavi, Karnataka: Four people have been arrested for allegedly "assaulting" five members of the Sri Ram Sene by tying them to a tree in Ingali village, police said on Monday.

A video of the incident, which took place in Hukkeri taluk on June 28, has gone viral on social media, prompting police to register a case on their own.

The video shows five men tied to a coconut tree and being "thrashed" by a group of villagers. Sri Ram Sene members claimed they were attacked for stopping the illegal transportation of cattle.

However, villagers alleged the assault was unrelated to cattle transportation and accused the activists of "misbehaving with women".

According to police, on June 26, Sri Ram Sene members intercepted a vehicle carrying cattle and took the driver and vehicle to the Hukkeri police station, alleging the cattle were being transported for slaughter.

The cattle were moved to a cow shelter but were returned to the locals on June 28 after authorities confirmed they had been purchased for dairy farming.

Later that day, Sri Ram Sene members allegedly trespassed into a villager's house in an attempt to reclaim the cattle and created a "ruckus". At the time, only women were present, police said, without providing more details about them.

Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar S Guled said the villagers "assaulted" the activists as they were angered by the trespassing incident.

"This act by the villagers is a violation of law and order. However, the victims are not entirely innocent—one of them is a rowdy-sheeter who had been externed from the district," he alleged.

Guled also dismissed claims that "the assault was communal".

"One of the accused is a Hindu. This doesn’t appear to be a case of communal violence," Guled added.

Denying allegations of police 'inaction', Guled said, "We registered a case on our own and arrested four people for the assault. Another case was filed based on a complaint from the cattle transporter. Further investigation is underway."