Two Men From Marginalised Communities Killed in Tumakuru District, 12 Arrested

As of now 12 people have been detained, out of which 3 belong to the tribal community.

Representational image of a crime scene.

(Photo: iStock)

Two men were tortured and killed in Karnataka’s Paddanahalli village in Tumakuru district on Thursday, 21 April.

The two men – Girish Mudalagiriappa and Nandisha – were allegedly killed when one of the them was trying to steal water pumps from the farms. Girish Mudalagiriappa, aged 32, belonged to the Dalit community while Nandisha, 30 belonged to the Adivasi community.

Speaking to The Quint, SP Rahulkumar Shahapurwad had said that the two men were first set on fire and then clubbed to death. As of now 12 persons have been detained according to the police.

“Among the arrested, five belong to the Lingayat community, four are from the Thigala community and three from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The victims were involved in theft cases, including motors from the farm of the accused,” SP Shahapurwad said, quoted The Indian Express.

“We cannot come to any conclusion as to whether they were killed because they were Dalits. The probe is still underway, we will be able to tell only after interrogation and investigation,” the officer added.

According to the report, Mudalagiriappa died on the scene, when the accused reportedly tormented them by setting fire to dry leaves near their feet while Girish, who had attempted to flee, was beaten to death. The Dalit organisations in the district have also demanded strict action against the accused.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)