Court grants bail to 99 accused in Marakumbi atrocity case

On August 28, 2014, a dispute between Dalit and upper-caste families in Marakumbi village, Gangavati taluk, escalated into violence

The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court on Wednesday stayed the life imprisonment sentences imposed by the Koppal district additional and sessions court in the Marakumbi atrocity case, granting interim bail to 99 convicted people. One of the accused, Manjunath, remained in custody as he did not filed a bail plea.

Under the terms of the interim bail, each released individual has been ordered to post a bond of ₹50,000 with one surety (File photo)

Under the terms of the interim bail, each released individual has been ordered to post a bond of ₹50,000 with one surety. Besides, two people, who were convicted and sentenced to five years of imprisonment in connection with the same case, were also granted interim bail.

On August 28, 2014, a dispute between Dalit and upper-caste families in Marakumbi village, Gangavati taluk, escalated into violence. A clash between the groups led to the burning of six Dalit homes and the assault of four Dalits. Tensions reportedly began over an altercation at a local cinema regarding movie tickets, with Manjunath and his associates alleging that Dalits had assaulted them, sparking anger within the upper-caste community and ultimately culminating in a mob attack on Dalits.

He said that three of the accused received five-year rigorous imprisonment sentences as they belong to the Dalit community, meaning that caste-based abuse charges did not apply to them. He further stated that one of the accused had passed away after the judgment was delivered by the district court.

Ninety-nine of the convicted people applied for bail in the Dharwad Bench, which granted bail to all applicants. “We will be filing a bail application for Manjunath on Thursday,” Malekoppa confirmed.