TUMAKURU: A Dalit youth was left with a serious injury after two caste Hindus allegedly assaulted him for playing a song on Dr BR Ambedkar in a milk procurement van he was travelling in. The assault took place at Gidada Muddanahalli village in Gubbi taluk on Saturday evening.
The victim Deepu (19), a student from Sirivara village in Tumakuru Rural, who was tasked with procurement of milk from farmers, was travelling with the van driver Narasimha Murthy. Around 6pm, the accused, Chandrashekar, a gangman with Indian Railways, and his accomplice Narasimharaju, waylaid the van, pretending to be RPF personnel. They questioned the victim for playing a song on Ambedkar from the serial ‘Mahanayaka’.
They asked for the victim’s caste and when he revealed that he was from SC-Madiga community (Dalit caste), they dragged both Deepu and Narasimha Murthy out of the van and assaulted them. The accused kicked Deepu in his groin, leaving him with a severe injury. When he shouted in pain, a crowd gathered and shifted him to the government hospital in Gubbi town.
“Doctors saved his life. He has got nine stitches and is out of danger,” said Deepu’s uncle Srinivas. Dalit organisation members approached police on Sunday, following which the accused were booked under Section 307 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Gubbi police sub-inspector Sunil told TNIE that the accused are absconding. SP KV Ashok said stringent action will be taken and the case will be investigated thoroughly.