A farmer allegedly attempted to murder a Dalit worker in an areca farm at Kochhivalli near Sringeri on Sunday.
Nagaraj, from Nemmaru village in Sringeri taluk, alleged that Dharmappa Gowda opened fire at him on Sunday morning while he was applying medicine to areca trees.
In his complaint to the Sringeri police, Nagaraj, a Dalit, said Manjunath K.S, an areca grower had asked him to apply medicine to his plants. While Nagaraj was on top of a tree, busy with his work, Dharmappa Gowda, Manjunath’s brother, came to the farm with a country rifle and started shouting at him using foul language. Pointing his rifle at the worker, he asked Nagaraj how he entered his farm without informing him.
“I was shocked by the sudden development. I requested him not to fire as I was preparing to get down. However, he opened fire. Fortunately, I escaped unhurt. The container filled with the medicine was damaged,” Nagaraj told The Hindu .
It may be mentioned that Manjunath and Dharmappa Gowda, had an ongoing dispute over the sharing of their ancestral property.
However, Nagaraj says he has no knowledge of this. “I am not aware of their dispute. I had gone there to do my job. I don’t know why he (Dharmappa Gowda) targeted me,” he said.
The case has been registered under Sections 504 (Intentional insult with the intent to provoke breach of peace) and 307 (attempt to murder), besides the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and Indian Arms Act, 1959.
The accused was not arrested till Monday evening.
