A 19-year-old Dalit youth, Deepu, was injured after two men allegedly assaulted him for playing a song on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in a milk procurement van in Gidada Muddanahalli village, Gubbi taluk, Karnataka. The incident took place on Saturday evening.
Deepu, a student from Sirivara village in Tumakuru Rural, was travelling with the van driver, Narasimha Murthy, when the accused—Chandrashekar, a gangman with Indian Railways, and his accomplice, Narasimharaju—stopped the van. They pretended to be Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and questioned Deepu about the song, which was from a serial called Mahanayaka, based on Dr. Ambedkar’s life.
“When they asked me about the song, I told them I am from the SC-Madiga community,” Deepu told the New Indian Express. “They became angry and dragged both me and the driver out of the van and started beating us.”
During the attack, Deepu was kicked in the groin, causing a serious injury. His screams for help attracted a crowd, which immediately took him to the government hospital in Gubbi town. Deepu’s uncle, Srinivas, said, “Doctors stitched him up with nine stitches. He is now out of danger.”
Following the assault, Dalit organizations contacted the police on Sunday, and a case was filed under Section 307 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Gubbi police sub-inspector Sunil said, “The accused are still absconding, but we are working on the case.” Superintendent of Police KV Ashok assured, “Strict action will be taken, and we will ensure a thorough investigation.”
