Among those arrested by Hassan police in connection with the violence that broke out at Sigaranahalli on April 1, many are innocents, said residents of the village. Among the 29 arrested 24 are women. The police allegedly took more women into custody as many of the men had left the village anticipating police action.
The innocent women with small kids had been taken to judicial custody, leaving their children in difficulty. Renuka (28), whose husband Dinesh works in Mumbai, was arrested on Sunday. A mother of twins, she had to go with the police with nobody to care of her children back home. “See the tragedy at home. Mother of the two babies is in prison while father is in Mumbai. Who has to take care of them? And, Renuka hardly comes out of her house, forget taking part in any clash or violence”, said a resident of the village.
A few policemen, two journalists and senior officers including SP R.K.Shahapurwad and Assistant Commissioner E.Vijaya were assaulted in the violence on April 1. The angry mob was opposing the district administration’s move to take Dalits into Basaveshwara temple in the village. They threw stones at police vehicles and officers. The police who visited the village on Sunday took 29 people into custody. They were later remanded to judicial custody.
Sharadamma (55), who has a petty shop in the village, was also arrested. Her son Parameshwara said, “My mother did not go out of the house when the incidents happened in the village. In fact, when she did not open her shop, the police made her open the shop as they required some snacks during their stay in the village. She had never anticipated that the police, whom she had helped, would arrest her. In the guise of taking her signature, they took her to their van”. In another case, Yashodamma and her son Revanna were arrested. Yashodamma’s husband Shivanna, a physically challenged person is alone at home. There is none to look after him. “We are not opposed to arresting those involved in the violence, but many innocents have been arrested by the police. They are facing charges as serious as an attempt to murder (Sec 307 of the Indian Penal Code)”, said a resident of the village.
Swamy, who was arrested on April 1 itself, was injured in the lathi-charge. He was hospitalised at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences. When JD(S) leaders including MLA H.D.Revanna visited the hospital he was being treated with even as he was handcuffed. The MLA took serious exception to the police action.
The relatives of those arrested have moved court seeking bail for the arrested.
