HUBBALLI: Haveri police have registered a case against 25 people from Nandihalli village of Ranebennur taluk of the district for setting ablaze two houses belonging to Dalit families. The incident took place late Sunday night when 12 members of the families were sleeping in two houses located next to each other.
The eyewitnesses said that a group of villagers, against whom the police have booked a case, came to the houses in the Dalit colony and started throwing logs of wood and they also poured petrol. They then set ablaze the first house hoping the fire would spread to the one adjoining, too.
The family members who sensed the smoke got out of the house and ran for their lives. They are now living in their relatives' homes in different villages in the district.
The district is represented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Police have beefed up investigation.
Senior police officials from Haveri have now landed in Ranebennur where the case has been registered.
So far, two persons have surrendered and the police are questioning them.
A senior police officer said that cases have been registered against the villagers involved in the torching the house incident. "The cases have been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police have started gathering information about the accused who are largely still absconding. We are hopeful that more people will surrender today or be caught," the officer added.
On Sunday evening, a religious procession was passing through the Dalit colony as part of a village fair held for Goddess Dyamavva. "When the procession was passing through the Dalit colony, some children and some youth from there started dancing along with the procession. This was objected to by a section of villagers who said that as they had pooled in money to celebrate the fair, Dalit families should not join the procession. This led to some verbal abuse from both sides, and at night, the accused villagers tried to burn down the house. Neighbours came in time and doused the fire before any tragedy could occur," the police officer added.