16 Dalits Tortured, Locked Up In Karnataka, Pregnant Woman Loses Baby

Jagadeesha Gowda, a staunch BJP supporter in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district, has been accused of keeping 16 Dalit people locked up for days in his coffee plantation. The victims say they were tortured. One of them, a pregnant woman, lost her baby after he assaulted her, the police said. A police case has been registered and the woman is undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

A case has been registered under the law against atrocities on Dalits naming Jagadeesha Gowda and his son Tilak Gowda.Both are on the run and a search is on, the police said.

The BJP has distanced itself from the man. The party's district spokesperson dismissed claims that he is a party leader. "Neither is Jagadeesha a party worker nor a member. He's just a BJP supporter. He is just like any other voter," said Varasiddhi Venugopal.

The victims were working as daily wagers at the coffee plantation in Jenugadde village. The police said they had borrowed money from the owner, amounting to Rs 9 lakh. When they failed to repay the loan, they were locked up.

"On October 8, a few people came to Balehonnur police station, alleging their relatives were being tortured by Jagadeesha Gowda. But later that day, they withdrew the complaint," said a senior police officer.

The next day, the pregnant woman was admitted to the district hospital and a fresh complaint was lodged with the police chief in Chikkamagaluru, said the officer. "We registered a First Information Report after the SP referred the case to us," he added.

The officer investigating this case confirmed that when he had visited the spot, he saw at least 8-10 people locked up in a room. They were released after the police questioned the owner.

"They were kept under house arrest for the last 15 days. There are four families which includes 16 members and all are from Scheduled Castes. According to the complainant, all 16 were kept under house arrest," said the officer.

"I was kept under house arrest for one day. I was beaten up and verbally abused. He had confiscated my phone," said Arpitha, who lost her baby. Her mother told reporters that Jagadeesha Gowda had beaten up her daughter and her husband. "She was two months' pregnant. Due to this, she has lost her child," she said.

Uma Prashanth, the Superintendent of Police, Chikkamagaluru district, said the workers had borrowed money from Jagadeesha Gowda. "Some of the men who borrowed money had left home, and so the owner kept the rest locked up, according to the complaint by the victims' families," she said.