Estate owner, son booked for assault on Dalits in Chikkamagaluru

The police have booked an estate owner and his son for allegedly assaulting and wrongfully confining members of a Dalit family at Hunasehallipura in Chikkamagaluru taluk.

Jagadish and his son Tilak slapped a woman inside the line house of the estate. They also abused and assaulted her family members Vijay, Roopa and Kavitha, Vijay’s wife said in a complaint.

The family joined the estate three months ago for work. They had reportedly borrowed money from Jagadish.They decided to leave the estate after he allegedly thrashed Vijay’s relative Manju over a petty issue recently.

The estate owner had demanded that they return the money before leaving.

“On October 8, at around 10.30 am, the duo barged into our house and wanted to know whether my family members, who were away, had arranged money. He snatched my phone and assaulted my husband Vijay, family members Roopa, Kavitha,” she said in the complaint.

“We had borrowed Rs 9 lakh from Jagadish and had promised to return the money. However, 10 members of my family, including five children, were locked up inside the house till evening,” Vijay claimed.

The Balehonnur police have registered cases under IPC Sections 504 (intentional insults, provocation), 323 (causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), and under sections of SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015.

“The police have registered a case. Investigation is on,” SP Uma Prashanth said.