BELAGAVI: Right-wing Hindutva activists assaulted a family in Mudalagi, Belagavi district, accusing the members of converting their neighbours to Christianity. The attack took place recently, when pastor Akshaykumar Karaganvi was holding prayers at his residence. The activists barged into his house and attacked him and a woman.
The pastor's family alleged that the attackers picked up a vessel from a stove and threw hot curry on to a woman, who started screaming and writhing in pain. Ghataprabha police registered an FIR against seven individuals -- Shivanand Shivalingappa, Ramesh Dandapur, Parasappa Babu, Fakirappa Bagewadi, Krishna Kantikar, Chetan Rajendra and Mahantesh Basalingappa, all residents of Mudalagi.
Police booked cases against them, invoking sections of rioting, criminal trespass, assault, robbery and criminal intimidation, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.