Kota police under attack for caning members of Koraga community

A sub-inspector and police personnel attached to the Kota police station came under attack for allegedly lathi-charging members of the Koraga community participating in a Mehendi (pre-wedding) ritual in Kotathattu Gram Panchayat limits on Tuesday.

Following complaints about loud music, police personnel led by Sub Inspector (SI) Santosh had reportedly lathi-charged the bridegroom Rajesh, an MSW graduate working as a Group (D) employee in a government department, his mother and other family members for not lowering the music volume during the Mehendi celebrations.

The bridegroom was reportedly dragged to the police station and beaten up. Even women and children were not spared during the lathi-charge, alleged Koraga community leader Ganesh Koraga.

The pre-wedding celebrations were taking place in the family after 40 years. The youth who had reportedly agreed to lower the music volume was also lathi-charged.

Members of the Koraga community staged a dharna outside Kota police station until the wee hours of Tuesday demanding suspension of SI and his staff.

The Koraga community insisted on suspending the SI when Brahmavar Inspector Ananthapadmanabha visited their colony in Kotathatthu GP limits. Kundapur MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty also visited the colony and condemned the lathi-charge incident on Tuesday.

Minister for Backward Classes Kota Srinivas Poojary who hails from Kota promised to visit the colony along with officials on December 30. The minister also sought a report into the lathi-charge incident from the Udupi superintendent of police and deputy commissioner.

Kotathatthu Gram Panchayat president Pramod Hande condemned police for ill-treating members of the tribal community for no reason.

Later in the evening, Udupi Superintendent of Police Vishnuvardhan told reporters that Udupi DySP Sudhakar will submit a report on the lathi-charge incident on December 29.

If the report proves that police had indeed lathi-charged the bridegroom and his family, stringent action will be taken against the PSI and five police personnel, he added.

“Presently all six police personnel including the SI have been shifted to the district police office. The Crime PSI was entrusted with the charge of the Kota police station,” he informed.