In a shameful incident a Dalit farm labourer and his son were allegedly tied up to the tree and beaten at Halagundakanala village in Vijayapura district of Karnataka. According to police sources a father and brother of a youth from the Dalit community were tied to a tree and thrashed by the relatives of a Muslim girl, with whom he had eloped on Sunday but the incident came to light on Wednesday.

According to eye witness Ningappa, the elder son of Mareppa Harijan, had eloped with a girl of the same village. The girl’s father, his brother and five others tied Mareppa to a tree and beat him black and blue, holding him responsible. Ramesh, younger son of Mareppa, came to his father’s rescue. He too was tied to the other side of the tree and thrashed severely.

Police confirmed on Thursday that the incident of a Dalit farm labourer and his son were tied and beaten up has taken place in the village allegedly because the father helped his 18-year-old son elope with a minor Muslim girl.

In his complaint Mareppa Harijan alleged that the girl’s father and relatives assaulted him and did not spare his younger son when he tried to stop them. He suffered multiple injuries and was admitted to Vijayapura Government hospital, police said.

Shivakumar Gunari, Additional Superintendent of police of Vijayapura, said the accused were booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code.

He said “The girl’s father is yet to be arrested but almost all the other accused have been held. The girl’s family has not lodged any case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, which they could. The boy and the girl have been missing for more than 20 days”.

This is the second incident in Vijaypura district in Karnataka  this month involving Dalits and Muslims. On June 3, a 21-year-old pregnant Muslim woman was allegedly burnt to death by her family for eloping and marrying a Dalit. Members of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti held a protest in front of the mini Vidhana Soudha here against the incident.