Express News Service
HUBBALLI: The Haveri police have registered a case against 25 people from Nandihalli village of Ranebennur taluk of the district for settling ablaze two houses belonging to Dalit families. The incident took place late Sunday night when 12 members of the families were sleeping in two houses that are located next to each other.
The eyewitnesses said that a group of villagers, against whom the police have booked the case, came to the houses at the Dalit colony and started throwing petrol and wood. They also set ablaze the first house hoping that the fire would spread. The family members who sensed the smoke got out of the house and ran for their lives from the village. They are now settled in their relatives’ homes in different villages of the district. The district is represented by the Chief Minister of the state Basavaraj Bommai and the police have beefed up the investigation.
The police have started investigating the matter. Senior police officials from Haveri have now landed in Ranebennur where the case has been registered. So far two persons have surrendered and the police are questioning them.
A senior police officer said that the cases are booked against the villagers who have been involved in the torching the house incident. ‘The cases have been booked under the prevention of atrocities SC-ST act. Most of the accused are absconding. The police have started gathering information about the accused who are still at large, We are hopeful that more people will surrender today or be caught,” the officer said.
According to the initial investigations, the rift began on Sunday when a religious procession was passing from a Dalit colony in the village. There was a village fair in Dyamavva Goddess and the procession was organised during the early evening.
“When the procession was passing through the Dalit colony small children and some youth started dancing along with the procession. This was objected to by a section of villagers who said that they have pooled in money to celebrate the fair and hence the Dalit families should not join. This led to some verbal abuse from both sides and on the night the accused villagers tried to burn down the house. The neighbours came in time and doused the fire before any tragedy,” the police officer added.
HUBBALLI: The Haveri police have registered a case against 25 people from Nandihalli village of Ranebennur taluk of the district for settling ablaze two houses belonging to Dalit families. The incident took place late Sunday night when 12 members of the families were sleeping in two houses that are located next to each other.
The eyewitnesses said that a group of villagers, against whom the police have booked the case, came to the houses at the Dalit colony and started throwing petrol and wood. They also set ablaze the first house hoping that the fire would spread. The family members who sensed the smoke got out of the house and ran for their lives from the village. They are now settled in their relatives’ homes in different villages of the district. The district is represented by the Chief Minister of the state Basavaraj Bommai and the police have beefed up the investigation.
The police have started investigating the matter. Senior police officials from Haveri have now landed in Ranebennur where the case has been registered. So far two persons have surrendered and the police are questioning them. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
A senior police officer said that the cases are booked against the villagers who have been involved in the torching the house incident. ‘The cases have been booked under the prevention of atrocities SC-ST act. Most of the accused are absconding. The police have started gathering information about the accused who are still at large, We are hopeful that more people will surrender today or be caught,” the officer said.
According to the initial investigations, the rift began on Sunday when a religious procession was passing from a Dalit colony in the village. There was a village fair in Dyamavva Goddess and the procession was organised during the early evening.
“When the procession was passing through the Dalit colony small children and some youth started dancing along with the procession. This was objected to by a section of villagers who said that they have pooled in money to celebrate the fair and hence the Dalit families should not join. This led to some verbal abuse from both sides and on the night the accused villagers tried to burn down the house. The neighbours came in time and doused the fire before any tragedy,” the police officer added.
