Mahadayi protest: 185 farmers walk out of Ballari, Chitradurga jails

A total of 185 farmers arrested in connection with violence during the protest for Mahadayi waters in Navalgund of Dharwad district, were released from the district jails in Ballari and Chitradurga on Saturday.

While 129 came out of the central jail in Ballari, 56 protesters were released from Chitradurga jail. On Friday, the principal district and sessions court, Dharwad, granted bail to all the 187 persons arrested in connection with the violence after the public prosecutor did not file any objection to the bail petitions moved by the arrested persons.

Of the remaining two, one Ibrahim Sab is lodged in the Ballari jail since he is yet to secure bail. Another was shifted to Bengaluru for treatment and is lodged in the central jail at Parappana Agrahara. However, the latter has been granted bail.

Speaking at a meeting after coming out of the jail in Ballari, president of the action committee for Kalasa Banduri struggle, Lokanath Hebasuru said that they would sue the police for defamation for committing excesses on the protesting farmers. He also demanded that chief minister Siddaramaiah should resign owning moral responsibility for the incident.

“The Auradkar committee formed by the state government to look into the cases against farmers, has given clean chit to 134. Therefore, the government should have released these people withdrawing the cases against them. But, it is sad that the farmers have been released on conditional bail,” he said.

He said that the Centre and the state government had not considered the farmers’ struggle seriously and the Navalgund incident had conveyed a strong message to both the governments.

“The jail officials did not treat us like criminals. We were looked after with respect,” Hebasur added.

Ballari central jail superintendent Dr K Ranganath said that of the 130 protesters from Navalgund, 129 were released on Saturday. He said that of the 19 persons arrested from Gadag, three had already been released and the rest were yet to secure bail.

V D Kamareddy, president of the Dharwad Bar Association said that bail would be granted to 17 protesters on Tuesday.

Similarly, of the 57 people lodged in the district jail in Chitradurga, 56 were released on Saturday. Though the Dharwad court granted them bail on Friday, the order copy reached the jail authorities only by night.

Rules prohibit release of the arrested persons after 6 pm. Hence, the farmers were released around 8.30 am on Saturday after completing the formalities.

A farmer said that he had no qualms about being put behind bars. “But, I am sad because we have been booked for murder.”

All the protesters were taken to Murugha Mutt where they had breakfast and later travelled to their places.