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Bangaluru, September 23 (KMS): Member of a panchayat comprising upper caste Hindus fined a Dalit family with Rs 60,000 after their son touched a Hindu idol in the Indian state of Karnataka.
The incident occurred in Ullerahalli village of Kolar district earlier this month.
On September 8, when a Hindu deity was taken in a procession, the 15-year-old Dalit boy touched the idol. Upper caste Hindus called a panchayat and summoned the boy’s parents. They demanded that the family pays a fine of Rs 60,000 for touching the idol.
When the boy’s mother Shobha said she couldn’t pay up, the panchayat asked her to leave the village, the Indian media reported.
The family then approached Ambedkar Seva Samithi, a Dalit welfare organisation, that took the family to the police station and lodged a complaint.
Following a complaint by boy’s mother Shobha, police registered a case under various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and booked former panchayat member Narayana Swamy, village head’s husband Venkateshappa, the panchayat vice president and a few others under the provisions of Protection of Civil Rights Act.
