Guwahati: The BJP-ruled states have been accused of brutally harassing Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims socially and economically in the country. Dalit girls, pregnant women have been accused of being brutally harassed. Not only this, there have also been allegations of pregnant women getting pregnant due to being beaten up brutally.
Jagdish Gowda, a staunch BJP supporter in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district has been accused of confining 16 Dalit men to coffee plantations for several days. The victim women and men say that Jagdish Gowda was brutally tortured. Attacking a pregnant woman leads to damage to the baby in her stomach. Police have registered a case and the woman is said to have been admitted to the district hospital.
A case has been registered against Jagdish Gowda and his son Tilak Gowda. Police said the two are absconding.
The BJP has kept away from Jagdish Gowda. BJP’s Chikkamagaluru district spokesperson says Jagdish Gowda is not a party leader Jagadish is not a party worker or member. He is just a BJP supporter. He is like other voters, a BJP district spokesperson said.
The victims were working as labourers in coffee plantations in Genugde village of Chikkamagaluru district. Police said they had borrowed Rs 9 lakh from the owner. They were stopped for non-payment of loans.
On October 8, some people came to the Balehonnur police station alleging that Jagdish Gowda had tortured and held their relatives captive. But the workers later retracted the complaint.
The next day a fresh complaint was lodged to the police chief of Chikkamagaluru. The pregnant woman was again admitted to the district hospital. The superintendent of police registered an FIR taking cognisance of the matter.
The investigating officer in the case confirmed that when at least 8-10 people were confined in a room at the spot. The police released the owner after questioning.
The labourers have been put under house arrest for the past 15 days. Four families consisting of 16 members belong to the Scheduled Castes. According to the complainant, all 16 were placed under house arrest.
A pregnant woman’s husband says we were put under house arrest. He was beaten up and abused. Jagdish Gowda beat up our daughter’s wife. She was two months pregnant. We have lost our children.