A Dalit family was allegedly harassed for entering the temple of their village deity at Mallekavu village in Koratagere taluk in Tumakuru.
M.S. Jagadish, 44, visited the Doddamma temple with his wife and two children on May 20 and performed a puja as there was a fair at the village. The next day he was allegedly summoned by village leaders who informed him that he and his family had ‘violated an age-old tradition’ as Dalits were not allowed in the temple, he told the police.
Though the incident happened last month, Mr. Jagadish approached the police on June 4 to lodge a complaint. He said he was asked by the elders to bear the cost of a ‘purification puja’ and repainting of the temple, which was necessary. He agreed to paint the temple and spent ₹25,000 on it. “However, the doors of the temple were left unpainted which angered the villagers, most of whom were from ‘upper’ castes or the OBC community,” he said.
After he was allegedly abused by the villagers, Mr. Jagadish decided not to bear the expenses of the puja and instead filed a complaint. The family is planning to move to Madhugiri taluk. The Koratagere police have registered a case against nine villagers.
