16 Dalits tortured for days in Karnataka, pregnant woman loses baby

In a heart-wrenching incident, as many as 16 members of the so-called lower caste were tortured and kept confined for days in a coffee plantation in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district by  Jagadeesha Gowda, a staunch BJP supporter, according to an NDTV report.

The BJP distanced itself from the incident saying that the alleged culprit is neither a member nor a party worker but like any other voter.

Police said the 16 Dalit people were locked up as they had failed to repay a loan amounting to Rs 9 lakh. They were all employed as daily wage workers at the coffee plantation in Jenugadde village.

A case has been registered under the law against atrocities on Dalits naming Jagadeesha Gowda and his son Tilak Gowda. Both are on the run and a search is on, the police said.

Chikkamagaluru district SP Uma Prashanth said the victims had borrowed money from Jagadeesha.

The victims say they were tortured. One of them, a pregnant woman, lost her baby after he assaulted her, the police said. A police case has been registered and the woman is undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

The police said they had borrowed money from the owner, amounting to Rs 9 lakh. When they failed to repay the loan, they were locked up.

“On October 8, a few people came to Balehonnur police station, alleging their relatives were being tortured by Jagadeesh Gowda. But later that day, they withdrew the complaint,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The next day, the pregnant woman was admitted to the district hospital and a fresh complaint was lodged with the police chief in Chikkamagaluru, said the officer. “We registered a First Information Report after the SP referred the case to us,” he added.

The woman said that she was beaten up and abused. Her mobile phone was confiscated by the accused. Her mother told reporters that Jagadeesha Gowda had beaten up her daughter and her husband. “She was two months pregnant. Due to this, she has lost her child,” she said.

According to the NDTV report, the officer investigating this case confirmed that when he had visited the spot, he saw at least 8-10 people kept locked up in a room. They were released after the police questioned the owner.

“They were kept under house arrest for the last 15 days. There are four families which include 16 members and all are from Scheduled Castes. According to the complainant, all 16 were kept under house arrest,” said the officer.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM