A 26-year-old Dalit man was stabbed to death by a barber at a salon in Sanganal village, Yalaburga taluk of Karnataka’s Koppal district on Saturday.
The victim, identified as Yamanurswamy Bandiha, had gone for a haircut and the salon owner, Mudakappa Hadapad got into a fight with the deceased over payment for the haircut and abused him verbally. After an escalated argument, stabbed him to death.
Inspector Moaumesh Patil said, “The argument started when the accused, Mudakappa demanded payment before the haircut. Even after assurance from the deceased, the accused made incendiary remarks based on his caste. The arguments quickly intensified, Mudukappa in the moment of anger, stabbed him using a pair of scissors.”
“The argument started over a money issue. Investigation is underway from all angles,” said a senior police official.
Locals rushed to help and took him to primary health care and was later transferred to a government hospital but the victim couldn’t survive.
A complaint was filed by the victim’s brother at Yelburga police station. Following which, the accused was arrested. The situation in the village intensified after the murder but was handled by police after a meeting with the villagers. Inspector Patil said that there was no prior record of this kind of case.
A case is registered under BNS section 193(murder) and the Prevention of Atrocities on SC/ST Act.
Local Dalits demanded justice. An official from the Yelburga Social Welfare Department said that the District Social Welfare Department was informed about the case. “We met the deceased’s family and offered our grievances. We have also asked district-level officers for compensation for the family,” the official said.
