BELAGAVI: Violent incidents broke out in two villages on Wednesday night, just ahead of the GP elections. The polls have become a matter of prestige for many political heavyweights, including the Jarkiholi brothers. Two incidents were registered, one at Yamakanmardi and the second at Ankalgi, the turfs of Satish and Ramesh respectively.
In the first incident at Yamakanmardi, an unknown person fired bullets from a country-made pistol at the personal assistant of KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi and at a Congress worker following a clash. Both sustained bullet wounds and were hospitalised in Belagavi. The PA has been identified as Kiran Rajput and the Congress party worker is Bharma Dhupdale. Yamakanmardi assembly constituency is represented by Satish Jarkiholi.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the attacker wore a mask and aimed at the duo from a distance of 7 feet. Satish Jarkiholi has condemned the incident and appealed to the police to bring the culprits to book.According to local Congress sources, the party suspects the attack is linked to the Gram Panchayat elections in Yamakanmardi where several candidates in the fray are expecting a close battle.
In the second incident, Raju Talwar, a resident of Ankalgi village (near Gokak which is represented by minister Ramesh Jarkiholi), attacked three persons brutally with a sword and a sickle in a clash with a family, according to the police. The condition of the three victims — Sanju Chikkugol, Akash Chikkugol, Akshay Chikkugol — is stated to be critical.
Talwar, against whom the police have booked a case, is said to be absconding.After the incident, Ankalgi police raided Talwar’s house and seized 20 sickles and several other weapons. The police said they also seized about Rs 83 lakh of unaccounted cash from his house. A separate case has been registered against Talwar for storing huge cash without any supporting documents.
Commenting on the violent incident at Ankalgi, Satish Jarkiholi said, “Raju Talwar enjoys political support. This is the third violent incident at Ankalgi in the last six months. A hostile atmosphere prevails there. The police must initiate measures to ensure law and order there.’’
Responding to the statement of Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi that the Ankalgi clash was between two families, Satish Jarkiholi said, “Yes, the clash was between two families but they belonged to two different political parties.’’