Belagavi assault case: SP directed to submit report within two weeks

The petitioner, a Dalit woman from Ghataprabha town in Gokak taluk, alleged that “she was publicly humiliated by members of her community on October 15”

The Dharwad bench of Karnataka high court issued a notice to Belagavi superintendent of police (SP) Bhimashankar Guled to submit a report in connection with the assault case of a woman on October 15, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. A 42-year-old woman was dragged out of her house, paraded naked, tied to an electric pole and thrashed allegedly after her son eloped with a woman, in Belagavi district of Karnataka.

Gokak deputy superintendent of police DH Mulla said that the police collected and listed all material evidence, including photos and videotapes of the incident (Representative photo)

The notice was issued in response to a petition filed by the woman, and the SP has been instructed to submit the report within two weeks.

The petitioner, a Dalit woman from Ghataprabha town in Gokak taluk, alleged that “she was publicly humiliated by members of her community on October 15”. In her petition, she claimed that the Ghataprabha police “failed to take appropriate action” against the accused. Instead, they allegedly “framed minor charges and did not consider the evidence she had provided”.

According to the petition: “A large group forcibly entered her house, undressed her, thrashed her with hands and sticks, placed a footwear garland around her neck, and paraded her on a busy market road”.

“I filed a complaint against 34 people who behaved inhumanely towards me. However, the police have only filed cases against 14 people. Despite providing photographs and video recordings of the incident, the police have not listed them as material evidence and have not framed an attempted murder case against the accused,” the petition said.

Gokak deputy superintendent of police DH Mulla, however, said that the police collected and listed all material evidence, including photos and videotapes of the incident. “The incident is believed to be linked to financial dealings, with both parties levelling allegations against each other,” he said.

She also appealed to the court to involve another agency in the probe as she “had lost faith in the police”. The petitioner said only one person was arrested, while the remaining accused “were freely roaming in the town and pressuring her to withdraw the case”.

The high court bench instructed the SP Bhimashankar Guled to submit a comprehensive report on the incident within two weeks.

Police had claimed that the group that attacked her had accused her of blackmailing people with false charges and using a ‘honey trap’ method for money. Before the incident, a Dalit outfit’s office bearers had submitted a memorandum to the Belagavi SP, accusing her of harassing people for money through illegal methods.

On September 30, the woman filed a counter-complaint with Gokak police, claiming that the office bearers of the Dalit group had demanded ₹5 lakh from her and fabricated false allegations when she refused to comply. “They beat me and my husband in our house when I refused to give them the money,” she said.