Balehonnur police in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka have registered a case against several persons, who participated in a protest on February 22 following the death of an agricultural labourer in an elephant attack, accusing them of obstructing government servants from discharging their duties, and attempting to lift and overturn a police vehicle, among other charges.

Hundreds of local people took part in the protest at Kadabagere in N.R. taluk on February 22, keeping the dead body of the deceased. They demanded a permanent solution to the human-elephant conflict, besides a compensation of ₹50 lakh to the family of the deceased.

The police used canes to disperse the mob, and handed over the body to her family.

Based on a complaint filed by police Sub-Inspector Ambareesh of Balehonnur, a case has been registered against Chandrashekhar Rai of Honnekoppa, Abhishek of Hosalli, Manja Shetty of Kadabagere, Praveen Khandya, Adarsha of Kumbaragodu, Karthik of Halehalli, Purushottam of Kuskul, Sachin of Mudabagil, Dhananjay of Varkatte, and 20 others.

The police official, in the complaint, alleged that the accused stopped a Forest Department vehicle, carrying the dead body, at Kadabagere and obstructed government officials from discharging their duty. They began a protest, blocking the movement of vehicles on the State Highway. They refused to end the protest even after repeated appeals by the police and other officials.

Senior officers of the district administration visited the spot and handed over the compensation cheque to the family of the deceased. However, the protesters were not ready to hand over the body to the family even after repeated appeals. They threw stones at the police, resulting in injuries to a few officials, the complainant stated.

Further, the official stated that as the protesters tried to lift and overturn a KSPR vehicle, forcing the police to use canes to disperse the mob.

Call for bandh in Sringeri on February 23

Condemning the lathi-charge on the protesters, Sringeri Raitha Okkuta called for a bandh in Sringeri Assembly constituency on February 23. The BJP has extended support to the bandh call.

Residents of Balehonnur, Koppa, Sringeri, and N.R. Pura responded to the bandh call with a majority of the shops in these areas not opening for business.