Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jan 18: On Monday January 17, assistant commissioner, Dr Harish Kumar, sought an explanation from the tahsildar relating to a case in which six families belonging to Malekudiya community were forcibly evicted from their huts set up on government land in Naidaguri in Sulkeri in the taluk.

The assistant commissioner (AC), who visited the spot on Sunday and listened to the grievances of the six families, is learnt to have sent a detailed report thereof, to the district deputy commissioner. He has sought clarification from the tahsildar over allegations made by the affected people on revenue officials like their eviction having been politically motivated, inhuman behaviour of the officials during the operation, money kept in the house having been robbed, atrocities having been committed on children and women etc. Even the Raita Sangha had objected to the way in which the policemen, who had been entrusted with the task of looking after the law and order situation, had plunged directly into action. It is learnt that the AC has also given certain guidelines to the tahsildar about future course of action.

The deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner also are peeved at the fact that the incident had not been brought to their notice in advance. As there are legal hurdles for providing shelter to the families in the land in which they were living, the department is likely to consider issuing sites to them in alternative land. On Tuesday January 18, the assistant commissioner is set to visit Kutloor, where the affected people were living, before relocating here.