Dalit youth beaten to death for stealing cigarette packets worth ₹1.40 lakh

Social Welfare Department hands over ₹4.12 lakh compensation to the victim’s family; police file FIR against five accused

A 25-year-old Dalit youth working at a private blood bank in Kalaburagi was beaten and tortured to death by his owner after he was caught stealing cigarette packets.

The deceased was identified as Shashikanth Mallikarjun, resident of Pragati Colony in the city.

The police have registered an FIR against the owner of the blood bank Chandrashekar M. Patil and Aditya Maratha, Omprakash Ghorvadi, Rahul Patil and Ashfaq in connection with the murder.

The accused locked Shashikant in a room for hours and brutally thrashed him. On Thursday evening, when his parents were taking him home, Shashikant collapsed and breathed his last.

Chandrashekar Patil runs the blood bank near Basaveshwara Hospital.

The victim’s father Mallikarjun has in his complaint stated that the accused Chandrashekar Patil demanded his son to pay ₹1.40 lakh for stealing cigarette packets.

When Shashikant failed to pay the amount, Chandrasekhar Patil and his four friends locked him in a room, switched off his mobile phone and thrashed him, Mallikarjun said in the complaint.

The bereaved family members and leaders of Dalit organisations staged a protest with the body outside the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Hospital, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused responsible for the youth’s death.

A case of murder and also under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been lodged against the accused.

The Social Welfare Department has handed over a compensation of ₹4.12 lakh to the victim’s family.

Published - December 13, 2024 07:36 pm IST