A 20-year-old Dalit woman who married a man belonging to the Scheduled Tribes community last year is said to have been poisoned to death by her husband and in-laws at Vithalapur village in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district a week ago.
As per a complaint lodged on August 29, 2024 at the Kanakagiri Police Station by Galeppa Yamanappa Bevur, father of the Dalit woman Mariyamma and a resident of neighbouring Agoli village, the accused tortured his daughter physically and mentally before forcing her to consume poison on August 27, 2024 at his agricultural field and rushed her to hospital to project it as suicide.
Based on the complaint, Kanakagiri Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 85 (cruelty against women within domestic relationships), 103 (punishment for murder), 80 (punishment for the offence of dowry death) and 3(5) (joint criminal liability for a common intension) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against 13 people, including Hanumayya, husband of the victim, and his father, Kalingappa.
The police have also arrested seven accused, including Hanumayya, Kalingappa, Hanumayya’s mother, sisters and his other relatives.
“We arrested Hanumayya and Kalingappa immediately after the complaint came. Today, we arrested five more accused. Investigation is on,” Sub-Inspector of Kanakagiri Police Station Mohammad Faizullah told The Hindu on Tuesday.
As per available information, the victim frequently visited Vithalapur village where she gradually got acquainted with Hanumayya. Their friendship turned into love and they married at the office of the Marriage Registration in Gangavati on April 18, 2023, albeit against their parents’ wishes.
The woman’s father, Galeppa Bevur, has, in his complaint filed after the death of his daughter, said that Hanumayya and his family members consistently harassed and tortured his daughter physically and mentally as she belonged to a so-called untouchable Madiga caste and demanded dowry.
He also revealed that his daughter had made an attempt to end her life by consuming poison four-five months ago as she could not tolerate torture. But she managed to recover after getting timely treatment at a hospital in Gangavati.
“Kanakagiri Police called me on August 27 to tell me that my daughter has consumed poison at an agricultural field in Vithalapur and she has been rushed to the District Hospital. I could not visit the hospital and see my daughter as I was a at faraway place in search of livelihood and also, as I was not on good terms with the accused. On August 29, Ramanna Hiredurgappa, a resident of Vithalapur, informed me that my daughter passed away,” Mr. Galeppa has said in the complaint.
Published - September 03, 2024 07:10 pm IST
