An alleged case of untouchability has come to light in Bellari district after a video showing a 27-year-old Dalit man being denied food at a local hotel, people familiar with the matter said, adding the incident took place in Guttiganur village of Kurugodu taluk .
In the video, which is being widely circulated on social media, a woman can be heard saying, “I will close the hotel, but I will not give you food,” as she denies service to the Dalit man.
Outraged by this discriminatory act, the man confronts the woman, leading to a heated exchange and a physical altercation.
Kurugodu police inspector M Supreeth said, “After the video went viral, we visited the village and conducted a probe. Although the video is old, we registered a case against hotel owner Gurubasavaiah and his wife Nagaveni”. “We voluntarily took notice of the incident, summoned the victim, identified as Mahesh, and received the complaint from him. We arrested the couple and booked them under the Prevention of Atrocities on SC/ST Act. “They were produced before the Kurugodu Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court on Friday, which remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days,” he added.
“We received information through social media and rushed to the village with revenue officials, taking a statement from the victim,” said Bellari district social welfare department deputy director J Sathish.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the persistence of untouchability in rural areas.
Tahsildar Raghavendra and officials held a peaceful meeting in the village on Thursday. They warned of stringent action against any salon, hotel, or provision shop owners found guilty of untouchability practices, stating that they will be booked immediately.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another case in Gollar Street, Geramaradi village, Tarikere taluk, Chikkamagaluru district. In this earlier incident, a Dalit youth named Maruti was physically assaulted while working in Gollar Street. The assault led to protests by Dalit organizations, condemning the act and entering the village.
Maruti received medical treatment at Tarikere Taluk Hospital, and the police arrested the individuals involved in the assault case. Later, the district administration forced the Golla community to open temple doors and allow Dalits inside the temple on January 9.
On January 10, Dalits in Kenchalagodu village near Mysuru were prevented by upper-class people from entering the Lakshminarayana temple in the village. Despite stringent laws enforced by the government, untouchability still prevails in rural areas of the state.