Four dalit huts set ablaze in Koppal

HUBLI: The three-month long cold war between dalits and upper castes took to a fiery turn in Marakumbi village of Koppal district on Friday night, when four huts belonging to dalits were set ablaze.
Koppal police arrested 52 people and registered cases against 96 persons.
Tension was sparked after a few upper caste men quarrelled with some youths when they went to Gangavati town to watch the Kannada film Power.
Bhimesh Hanumantappa, a dalit who filed a police complaint, said said clashes were common between the two communities. “Manjunath and some others, belonging to the upper caste, had a quarrel with some youths at the cinema. They presumed that dalit youths were behind the clashes in Gangavati. On returning to the village, Manjunath and 95 others attacked dalits and set fire to four huts,” he said.
Channaveerayya, who was arrested, alleged that dalits themselves set fire to their huts and filed a complaint. “We were not in the village when the incident occurred,” he added. Gangavati Rural CPI Prabhakar Dharmatti said, “Two cases were registered — one against 96 persons and another against 67 persons. The accused belong to both communities.