Pregnant women were also not spared

Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Jul 31: The police, in their enthusiasm to arrest and put behind bars the people who were protesting to assert their right over drinking water from Mahadayi river, entered several homes and indiscriminately hit men, women including pregnant ones and also the old people. The police brutality was very much evident in Yamanur and Alagawadi villages of Navalgund taluk in the district.

There has been widespread indignation and condemnation against the excessive use of force by police against villagers who were fighting for a just cause.

Hundreds of police personnel entered Yamanur village in buses and jeeps on Friday July 29 and started to barge into homes and drag out people. Growing panicky by this development, men of the families ran away from their villages.

The villagers explained to media persons who visited them later, that the police were in no mood to listen to the pleas that menfolk were not at home. The police used derisive language against the women and accused them of hiding the men somewhere. They attacked women, both young and old, including pregnant ones, and also attacked old men and women, they explained.

The police, who found some men from inside the homes dragged them out by their necks and hit them with sticks, it is gathered. Over 65 persons from Alagawadi and over 60 from Yamanur were arrested. The taluk accounted for 187 arrests on Friday. A sense of panic had spread all through the villages in the taluk as a result.

The villagers feel that the police wanted to settle scores for war of words the farmers engaged with them during the massive protest held at Navalgund town. The farmers had also blocked the vehicle of superintendent of police, Dharmendra Kumar Meena at the protest at Yamanur that had angered the police personnel. Four injured villagers were admitted into the district hospital here on Saturday.

JDS state president, H D Kumaraswamy, visited the villages on Saturday and personally gathered information from villagers. BJP leader, Prahlad Joshi and state president, Yeddyurappa, have condemned police action.

Dr Parameshwar expresses regret

State home minister, Dr G Parameshwar, expressed regret for atrocity if any which had occurred against old people and women. He also promised to act strictly if it is found that the police had lost their restraint in acting against protesters. Saying that he had seen scenes of atrocity beamed by media, he said he will look into the matter and act against officials who were found guilty.