Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Aug 23: After almost a month of the incident, the Dakhina Kannada police have finally arrested Gopalkrishna Gowda, accused of severing the fingers of Sundar Malekudiya, a Dalit in Neriya village of Beltangady taluk.
Addressing a press meet here on Sunday August 23, district superintendent of police (SP) Dr Sharanappa said that Gopalkrishna Gowda (67), the main accused in the case, was arrested on Saturday August 22 at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh.
Based on the information given by Gowda, the police also arrested car driver Vasanth Gowda. Both have been brought to the city and produced in court.
The police had earlier arrested Gowda's wife Pushpalata in this connection. His sister Damayanti, who is also an accused, is absconding.
The incident had taken place on July 26. As per a complaint filed by Sundar Malekudiya's wife Revati, the accused barged into a land given to him by the forest department and saying the land belonged to them, sprayed chilli powder on Malekudiya's wife and children, and chopped his fingers with a weeding machine and severely injured his hand, besides hurling abuses at him and issue threat to life.
As the victim is a Dalit, the Beltangady police registered a case under Sections 447, 504, 326, 506, 307 of IPC and section 34 of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Four police teams led by circle inspectors of Beltangady, Bantwal, Sullia and Puttur were formed to hunt down the accused, and each of the teams went to various places in the state in an effort to nab him, the SP said.
"The main accused was absconding was traced in a guest house at Puttaparthi of Anantpur district in Andhra Pradesh using the usual technical and conventional methods. Thereafter, based on the information given by Gopal Gowda during interrogation, Damayanti's car driver Vasanth Gowda who had left from Anantpur towards Hassan via Bengaluru was arrested late night on Saturday at Channarayapatna. On Sunday morning, the accused were brought to Beltangady," the SP said.
"We are doing our best to trace Damayanti. She will be arrested soon," he added.
Asked whether the accused would be booked under Goonda Act, he said, "There are rigid guidelines regarding Goonda Act. We will examine first and then decide if it applies here. We will first investigate, submit the report in court and ask for a speedy trial."
He also said that prima facie, it looked like a case of land dispute.
"There was pressure from various organizations to arrest the accused and finally we have succeeded. The team that conducted the investigation and the arrest operation will be rewarded," the SP said.