ATHANI: BJP MLA Baramagonda (Raju) Kage, his brother, daughter and around 10 persons have been booked for allegedly assaulting a businessman from Ugarkurdh KH village in Raibag taluk for posting a defamatory comment against the legislator in his Facebook account.
Though the incident took place on January 1, it came to light on Monday. The CCTV footage which the victim’s family and local Congress unit released, showed the attack scene in which the legislator's MBA degree holder daughter Trupti, brother Tamagonda, his two sons and supporters attacked Vivek Shetty at his residence in the morning hours on Monday.
According to the complaint filed by Vivek, attackers armed with sticks and sickles arrived in cars and barged into the house. They asked for Shetty and went to the first floor, beat him up with the hands and sticks, dragged him to the ground floor and tried to take him with them. However, Vivek freed himself and left the scene.
“Kage family attacked us as they did not want us to venture into politics. Kage got lot of benefit and even votes from us in all of his elections'', said Vivek Shetty’s family.
“I had not expected such an inhumane enmity based reaction from Kage’s family who has got all kind of help from me'', said Vivek.
According to sources, both the legs of Shetty are fractured. Shetty is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital at Miraj town at Sangli district in Maharashtra.
The police sources said, “Shetty who was a BJP worker had asked for a ticket to contest in the Zilla Panchayat elections from a segment at Kagwad Assembly segment. However, it was denied by MLA Kage. Shetty unsuccessfully contested on Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) ticket against BJP. He was said to be campaigned against BJP in the ongoing APMC election and posted an adversable comment against the legislator on his Facebook account and personally posted to Trupti.
Irked over the comment, Trupti, her uncle Shivagonda and supporters rushed to Shetty's house and allegedly attacked him, said the officials.
The CCTV footage showed the attackers beating Vivek at the first floor of the house, manhandling his family members, taking him dragging top the ground floor from the starecase. Trupti was also found strangulating Shetty's mother when she tried to free her son.
Trupti is the second and the younger daughter of Kage and is currently preparing for IAS examinations. Her family members said that she felt insulted and angry with the Facebook comment and forced her father's supporters to attack on Shetty.
Both Kage and Shetty family were reportedly partners in business and minor disputes escalated when the latter family showed interest toward the political sector in the taluk.
Chikkodi deputy superintendent of police Suresh Chitaguppikar told Express that FIRs were filed against 13 persons including MLA Kage and his daughter Trupti, his brother Shivagonda and his two sons Prakash and Gajanan.