MADIKERI: The popular tourist spot of Raja Seat in Madikeri has been dragged to a black spot as a major rift broke out at the tourist destination on Sunday evening. Assault between two locals in the area was witnessed by hundreds.
The assault took place between the watchman of Raja Seat and a local street vendor. During evening hours, watchman Jayanna is said to have visited a shop outside Raja Seat to buy chips. He bought the potato chips from street vendor Jamshad. However, a verbal rift broke out between the two over the payment for the purchased product. Jayanna’s wife, Susheela also runs a shop outside Raja Seat and she tried stopping the two from getting into a physical fight. However, both Jayanna and Jamshad got into a physical assault as the latter attacked the former with a stick. The video of the assault has gone viral across social media.
Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed with the Madikeri police by Jayanna’s wife who has claimed that her husband was verbally and physically abused by accused Jamshad and another street vendor Khaleel. The police have arrested Jamshad, investigations are ongoing. Injured Jayanna is being treated at a hospital in Mysuru.
Following this incident, the street vendors are now banned from doing regular business outside Raja Seat. Many vendors have been earning their livelihoods for over two decades outside the tourist spot and they offer street food to tourists including ‘Churmuri’ and other items. However, the assault incident has now displaced the livelihood of the vendors even as Kodagu DC Dr BC Sateesha has ordered a tender to enable business outside Raja Seat.
While the growth of tourism is meant to help the locals, it has been rendered otherwise in this district. Over 20 families outside Raja Seat are now likely to lose their livelihood even as over 200 youngsters who ferried tourists to Mandalpatti in their white-board 4X4 Jeeps have been rendered jobless due to the recent developments in Madikeri city.