Nearly a week after a MNREGA Technical Consultant in Tumakuru was assaulted when he refused to sign inflated bills, the Kudur police on Sunday announced the arrest of five farmers from Kunigal.
H.R. Srinivas (54) was attacked by two persons last Monday while he was returning home. His right hand was severely injured in the attack.
The accused — Chanakeshava (27), Manjunatha (26), Lakshmana (31), Punitha (21), and Chamanna, (26) — were picked up from the house of their associate in Kunigal, the police said. A special team that had been formed track down the accused. “There are a few persons who helped the accused in providing shelter. They will also been booked,” a senior police officer said.
Investigation revealed that the dispute between the accused and the victim was over payment for digging percolation pit for rainwater harvesting in Bagenahalli village of Kunigal taluk. While Mr. Srinivas did not agree for the payment of Rs. 40,000 since measurement of the pit varied, two of the accused wanted the full amount.
A heated argument ensued on Monday afternoon and the accused allegedly threatened to “chop off his hand” if he [Mr. Srinivas] did not sign the bill in a manner that they wanted. However, Mr. Srinivas, passed the bill after deducting Rs. 10,000, which enraged the accused, the police said.
Of the five, Chennakeshava and Manjunath followed the victim and attacked him with choppers near Talekere handpost in Kudur police station limits, the police said. Mr. Srinivas, whose hand was almost severed, was rushed to a government hospital in Magadi and later to a private hospital. Incidentally, as the medical bills mounted, he got himself discharged, but later got readmitted after the government promised to clear his bills. “The accused claim to be contractors in MNREGA scheme. But under the scheme, the job has to be given to the direct beneficiaries who, in this case, are unemployed villagers who have job cards. This shows that there are several loopholes in the scheme which is also being probed,” a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, the victim’s wife Bhagyalakshmi said: “We are very relieved to hear that the culprits have been arrested.” She added that Mr. Srinivas was recovering.