Cab driver assaulted, abused with casteist slurs

A 38-year-old cab driver from Tumakuru, who had gone to his village to cast his vote, was allegedly beaten up, humiliated and abused with casteist slurs by a group of men on December 27.

Though the jurisdictional Dandina Shivara police have registered an FIR against the accused, charging them under SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and also under various sections of IPC , they are yet to take action.

The victim, Arun Kumar, a resident of Kuvempunagar in Tumakuru, had gone to his native village Hullikere to cast his vote in the recently held gram panchayat elections. As his name was not found in the electoral list, he visited his parents and was returning home in his car with his family.

On the way, a group of men gathered in front of the polling booth blocking the way. Arun Kumar honked and requested them to give way, but they refused to budge.

Arun Kumar said that the accused, identified as Rudresh, Anil Kumar, Nijaguna Murthy, Suresh and Mahalingappa, along with others from his village belonging to the upper caste, were drunk and misbehaved him, hurling abuses.

Sensing trouble, Arun Kumar managed to move his vehicle and passed the group. Enraged by this, the accused chased him on bikes and managed to intercept his car near Hullikere bus stop. They dragged him out of the car and started beating him up, hurling casteist abuses, he said.

The accused threatened to kill him and even damaged the car. Arun’s wife Jayalakshmi was also beaten up when she rushed to his help.

The couple was finally rescued by two passersby, but the accused tried to attack them too. However, the accused, sensing trouble, escaped after other passersby began to gather at the spot.

Arun Kumar suffered a fractured nose and damage to his eye in the attack. His car was also damaged.

"I want the police to take action against the accused as they attacked me and my wife, and abused our caste for no fault of ours," he said in his complaint.

The police said that they are busy in election duties and also security duty ahead of the new year and said that action will be taken.

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