After a decade, Koppal court convicts 101 persons in Marakumbi caste atrocity case in Karnataka

98 of the convicted persons belong to ‘upper’ castes

The Principal District & Sessions Court in Koppal has convicted 101 persons in a decade-old case of atrocity against members of Scheduled Castes at Marakumbi village in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district in Karnataka.

The court sentenced 98 convicts to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on each of them under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The remaining three are members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the Act did not apply to them. They were sentenced to five years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹2,000 on each of them.

C. Chandra Shekhar, the judge, had held 101 of the 117 accused guilty on October 21, and pronounced the judgment on October 24.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s observations in Manju Devi case, the judge held that despite various measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, they remain vulnerable. They were denied their rights and subjected to various offences, indignities, humiliations and harassment.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, I do not find any extenuating or mitigating circumstances available on the record, which justify showing any lenience. To show mercy in a case like this would be a travesty of justice. Considering the fact that the injured victims, male and female, belong to Scheduled Caste and that the accused have violated the modesty of women folk, assaulted the victims with sticks, stones and brick pieces causing injuries, I am of the opinion that the accused deserve to be sentenced for more period than the prescribed minimum period of punishment. There are no reasons, much less sufficient and adequate reasons, available on the record to impose a lesser sentence,” the judge said in the 171-page judgment.

Background of case

The long-pending misunderstanding and enmity between the Dalits and members of the ‘upper’ castes at Marakumbi village in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district took a new turn on August 28, 2014, when Dalits were denied entry into hair-dressing salons and hotels in the village. Police visited the village and a case was filed in Gangavati Rural Police Station.

Later that day, the issue took a violent turn over the purchase of cinema tickets at Shiva Talkies in Koppal. The initial argument turned into a violent physical clash within minutes, and Dalits were attacked.

After returning to their village, members of the ‘upper’ caste, armed with bricks, stones and sticks, gathered at Durga Devi temple, situated near the Dalits’ colony, and attacked the Dalits. They beat up the people including women, children and the aged before setting their houses on fire.

Following a complaint lodged by Bheemesh, one of the victims, a case was registered at Gangavati Rural Police Stations under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gangavati, investigated the case.

Initially, only a few people were named as accused in the complaint. However, during the investigation, the involvement of other accused came to light.

In the final charge sheet filed before the court, 117 people, including two minors, were named as accused.

A separate charge sheet was filed before the Juvenile Justice Board, Koppal.

Out of 47 witnesses named in the charge sheet, the prosecution examined 38.

Published - October 25, 2024 12:02 pm IST