KOPPAL: The Principal District and Sessions Court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to 98 accused in the Marukumbi Dalit atrocity case in Gangavati, Koppal district. Three accused, who belong to the SC and ST communities, got a five-year imprisonment term.
The judgement is one of the rare cases where 98 accused were handed life imprisonment simultaneously. Many family members of the victims have been waiting for this decision for the past ten years.
A total of 101 accused were arrested on Monday, and the judgement was reserved for October 24. The public prosecutor said a case was booked against 117 people, of whom 101 were awarded punishment, while 16 accused are dead.
When the court decision was announced, relatives and family members of the 98 convicts started crying aloud in distress, while the victims’ family members heaved a sigh of relief.
Manjunath K, Ramesh Kolur and other Dalit leaders from Koppal said they were happy that the court had announced life imprisonment for 98 accused in the Marukumbi case.
“We have been waiting for this decision for ten years. Many Dalit leaders supported the families after the incident, and the victims’ family members are also happy with the decision,” they said.
The incident occurred on August 28, 2014, when some Dalit youths went to watch a film in a theatre. This led to a quarrel and clashes as Dalits were denied entry into barbershops and hotels.
Caste-based violence ensued, with individuals from other communities setting ablaze many huts belonging to Dalits in Marukumbi village, Gangavati taluk, Koppal district. The case gained attention as Dalit leaders organised a padayatra from Koppal to Bengaluru.
That year, hundreds of people entered the Dalit residents’ area in Marukumbi, leading to clashes in which Dalit property was set on fire.
The conflict arose over the denial of entry for Dalits into the village’s barbershops and hotels. Police maintained tight vigil in Marukumbi village for three months.