'Dalit' woman: I was dragged, beaten at temple

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Caste-based conflicts continued to play havoc with social harmony in Karnataka.

In the latest incident, a woman on Friday registered a complaint with Amrutahalli Police Station, claiming that she had been assaulted by a management committee member of a local temple, who allegedly derided her for being from a “lowborn clan” and prevented her from entering the sanctum sanctorum. The complainant Hemavathi has also submitted CCTV footage showing her being assaulted. The clips are now being shared widely on social media and messaging apps.

She added that the incident took place on December 21, but she did not complain earlier because the assaulter, Munikrishnappa had threatened to take her life and that of her husband.

On Friday, Hemavathi approached Amrutahalli Police Station, made the complaint and submitted the letter detailing the incident. “I would like to register a complaint against the Amrutahalli Lakshmi Narayanaswamy temple’s management member Munikrishnappa for assaulting me.

My name is Hemavathi and I’m a homemaker. I live at the given address with my husband and my two sons. On 21-12-2022, when I visited the Lakshmi Narayanaswamy temple, Munikrishnappa abused me and asked me which lowborn clan I come from,” she said.

“He told me that I’m not pure and that I had come there without having taken a bath. He went on to say that he would not give me an opportunity to visit the deity. He also said that I was dark complexioned and weird-looking. He used abusive language against me, physically assaulted me, dragged me by my hair and removed me from the temple. Later on when the temple priests tried to help me, he (Munikrishnappa) beat me with a cane,” she added. ‘Got death threats’ The victim claimed that she was issued death threats by Munikrishnappa.

“When I stepped out of the temple, he told me that if I tried to tell anyone about the incident, he would kill me and my husband. Due to the fear of those with money and power, I didn’t reveal this to anyone. Later on, my husband told me that the police would protect us and get us justice and convinced me to go to the police station. I would like to request you to register our complaint, get us justice and protect me and my husband from the threat to our lives by providing police protection. I have also submitted the video that shows me being assaulted,” Hemavathi concluded.

Victim mentally ill: Cops Amrutahalli cops on the other hand, claimed that Hemavathi was mentally ill and was not a Dalit. They added that a case had been registered against Munikrishnappa under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 354 (assaulting a woman, using criminal force against her to outrage her modesty).

An inspector, on condition of anonymity said that Hemavathi claimed that the presiding deity of the temple was her husband, tried to force her way in and spat at Munikrishnappa, who then beat her up. “She’s not a Dalit. Both parties belong to the ‘general’ category,” he said.

“She is not mentally fit. She claimed that the deity was her husband and that she wanted to sit next to the idol. An argument ensued. She even went on to spit at the man,” he added.