Cupped hands, not a glass: Karnataka hotel owner booked for untouchability

The incident took place in Echanal village in Lingasugur taluk and is believed to have taken place about three months ago, officials said.

A hotel owner in Raichur district has been booked for allegedly practising untouchability after a video showed him pouring drinking water into a customer’s cupped hands instead of giving him a glass.

Police booked a Raichur hotel owner after a video allegedly showed him pouring water into a Dalit customer’s cupped hands instead of handing over a glass. (PTI)

The incident took place in Echanal village in Lingasugur taluk and is believed to have taken place about three months ago, officials said. The video surfaced on social media recently, leading officials to visit the village and police to register a case.

Lingasugur police have booked hotel owner Shivappa and others under Section 3(1)(za)(D) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, and Section 4 of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955. An investigation is underway.

Ravindra Uppara, social welfare assistant director, said officials were shown the video during their visit to the village.

“In the video, hotel owner Shivappa of Itchanal is seen pouring water from a height to Mariyappa Kattimani, instead of handing over the glass directly. Locals informed that the incident had taken place three months ago,” he told HT.