A young Dalit lawyer, Durgappa Hosamani, was allegedly assaulted and subjected to caste-based abuse by two upper caste men in Nagarala village of Surapura taluk, Yadgir district, Karnataka. The incident has triggered public outrage after a video showing the attack surfaced and went viral on social media.
Hosamani told media that he was walking along a road in the village when the two accused—identified as Mallayya and Arjuna—approached him without provocation, hurled casteist slurs, physically assaulted him, and threatened to kill him.
“They abused me because of my caste. I didn’t even speak to them before they attacked me,” he said.
A video clip of the incident, which captures the lawyer being insulted and pushed around, has drawn widespread condemnation online, with many users demanding strict action.
Following Hosamani’s formal complaint, Surapura Police registered a case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—including Sections 115(2) (criminal intimidation), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 133 (intentional insult), 351 (assault), and 352 (punishment for assault)—as well as under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police officials have stated that the investigation is underway and assured that justice will be delivered.
