Dalit man made to spend Rs 11K on feast for entering temple in Karnataka
Koppal, Sep 25: Close on the heels of a Dalit family being penalised Rs 25,000 over their two-year-old son entering a temple in Kustagi, a Dalit man was forced to arrange a feast spending Rs 11,000 for entering a Lakshmi Devi temple in a village at Karatagi about 11 days ago, a police officer said.
"Yes, it is true that the man spent Rs 11,000 to arrange feast for entering the temple. Our officers are investigating the matter," superintendent of Police T Sreedhara told PTI on Saturday.
According to him, the incident came to light only on Friday and since then the temple management led by the priest raised an alarm and forced the man to organise the feast.
Sreedhara said a few months ago, a theft had taken place in the village and it was decided that no one should enter the temple except the priest.
However, the Dalit man, whose identity has been withheld, entered as he had taken a vow to conduct some rituals.
On September 14, he entered the temple ignoring the collective decision taken by the elders of the village.
Other police sources said eight people have been detained in this connection.
The incident was a stark reminder of the September 4 incident when a Dalit family belonging to the Chenna Dasar community was harassed and asked to pay Rs 25,000 as penalty after their two-year-old son entered the temple in Miyapur village under Kushatagi police station limits in Koppal.
Five people were arrested in connection with the incident and several awareness meetings were held to educate masses against the evil of caste based discrimination.
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Himachal: Three killed, two injured as speeding car dashes against parked truck
Mandi (HP) (PTI): Three people were killed and two others sustained grievous injuries after a speeding car dashed against a stationary truck at Dadour near Nerchowk in Mandi district on Monday late at night, police said on Tuesday.
There were five people in the car when the tragedy struck. Three were declared dead in the hospital while two have been referred to AIIMS Bilaspur.
The deceased were identified as Anil Kumar (28), Rohit Kumar (26) and Subash Kumar (23), all residents of Mandi district, while the injured are Harish and Pankaj.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and investigations are underway, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi Vinod Kumar.
He added that the bodies have been handed over to the family members of the deceased.
In a statement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of three lives in a road accident. He directed the district administration to ensure best possible treatment for the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
