Dalit woman paraded naked

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, AUG. 27. A Scheduled Caste woman was reportedly paraded naked at Vanenur village in Bellary taluk of Karnataka on Sunday. Police have taken seven persons into custody on a complaint from the woman's brother-in- law.

The woman, Yerramma, was assaulted before being paraded naked, allegedly by the members of the Valmiki (Nayaka) community because she was ``responsible'' for a SC boy and an ST girl eloping from the village a month ago. Yerramma told presspersons today that she was innocent.

``Four men and three women came to my place and enquired about the incident. The men, who were in an inebriated state, assaulted me, dragged me by my hair onto the street and stripped me. I was made to stand on the road for over two hours,'' Yerramma said. ``My daughter, who came to my rescue, was beaten up and molested. My husband was also beaten up,'' she said.

``They went on humiliating me in public. Around 6 p.m. they let me go saying that I should take the main street to reach my house. I covered myself with the dhoti my husband gave and returned home,'' Yerramma said.

Mr. D.Yerriswamy, a former councillor, has said he would reveal the names of the abettors to the crime if the authorities promised to conduct a free and fair inquiry into the incident. Various Dalit organisations have condemned the incident.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Setback to Moopanar's health
Next     : AIIMS notices to striking staff