Civil rights group Bahutva Karnataka on Friday condemned the police inaction leading to violence in Karnataka’s Koppal, last week and the vindictive arrest of its Convener Sanna Hanumantha.
“Due to the instigation and conspiracy of some vested interests, violence broke out in Hulihaidar village resulting in the unfortunate death of two innocent persons and grave injury to Dharmaraj who is presently fighting for his life in the hospital,” the civil rights forum for justice, harmony and solidarity said in a statement.
The violence broke out in Hulihaidar village in Koppal after a Hindu boy went to meet a Muslim girl on the occasion of Muharram. At first, the incident led to a verbal spat between members of the two communities and later it got out of control leading to clashes.
The police have taken over 25 people into custody in connection with the incident. At least two people are reported to have died, while six others got injured. The two deceased have been identified as Pasha Vali (22) and Yenakapaa Talavad (60). Both had sustained injuries in the violence and later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
It said that the violence and the unfortunate deaths could have been prevented if the “District Administration and the police acted on the complaints filed by Sanna Hanumantha.”
“Social workers in Huli Haider village, led by Hanumantha have been fighting corruption in the Grama Panchayat and also been working for the rights of housing and education for all marginalised communities in the area. Feudal interests in the area have been opposing this,” the group said.
It noted, “A few years ago, an RTI activist Yallalinga Kuruba was murdered for filing RTI applications regarding the NREGA works being carried out in the Gram Panchayat. The main accused in the murder were once again active and threatening the social activists in the village. Given this background, Shri Sanna Hanumantha and others had requested the police and district administration to take action which they failed to do so. Instead, after the violence broke out the police stepped in and even then instead of arresting all those responsible, they arrested Hanumantha.”
Bahutva Karnataka strongly condemned the police inaction and the arrest of its convenor Hanumantha and demanded that a “fair and proper investigation of the incident must be conducted and the real culprits apprehended. Hanumantha must be immediately released and the false allegations against him must be immediately dropped.”
“All steps must be taken to ensure justice to the victims of the incident,” it urged to “maintain the guidelines of Communal Harmony and called for a peace meeting to ensure peace and harmony in Hulihaidar village.”
“Compensation of Rs.50 lakhs must be paid to each of the families who were killed and injured in the case and a family member should be provided a government job,” Bahutva Karnataka said demanding appropriate legal action to be taken to prevent such cases from recurring in the future.
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Rabia Shireen is a Staff Reporter at The Cognate.
