Karnataka
16 Dalits locked up, tortured in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru, pregnant woman loses baby
Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka/IBNS: Jagadeesha Gowda, a staunch Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district, has been accused of keeping 16 Dalit people locked up for days in his coffee plantation where a pregnant woman lost her baby, said reports.
According to the victims, they were tortured and assaulted while held captive.
A police case has been registered under the law against atrocities on Dalits and the woman who lost her baby is undergoing treatment at the district hospital.
The FIR names Jagadeesha Gowda and his son Tilak Gowda. Both are on the run and a search is on, the police said.
The BJP has distanced itself from the accused. The party's district spokesperson dismissed claims that he is a party leader.
"Neither is Jagadeesh a party worker nor a member. He's just a BJP supporter. He is just like any other voter," said Varasiddhi Venugopal.
The victims were working as daily wagers at the coffee plantation in Jenugadde village.
According to the police, the victims had borrowed money from the owner, amounting to Rs. 9 lakh and on failing to repay the loan, they were locked up.
"On October 8, a few people came to Balehonnur police station, alleging their relatives were being tortured by Jagadeesh Gowda. But later that day, they withdrew the complaint," said a senior police officer.
The next day, the pregnant woman was admitted to the district hospital and a fresh complaint was lodged with the police chief in Chikkamagaluru, said the officer. "We registered a First Information Report after the SP referred the case to us," he added.
The officer investigating this case confirmed that when he had visited the spot, he saw at least 8-10 people kept locked up in a room. They were released after the police questioned the owner.
"They were kept under house arrest for the last 15 days. There are four families which includes 16 members and all are from Scheduled Castes. According to the complainant, all 16 were kept under house arrest," said the officer.
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