The Hindu : Karnataka News : Local feud led to double murder, arson

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Local feud led to double murder, arson

By Our Staff Reporter

HASSAN, OCT. 13. While the police are yet to find the reason behind the torching of houses at Dyapalapura in Hassan district on Tuesday following a double murder, villagers say enmity and a dispute over a minor issue between the people of Dyapalapura and Haruvanahalli led to the incident.

Speaking to The Hindu , the Inspector-General of Police (Western Range), Kempaiah, ruled out any political motive behind the murder of municipal councillor Girijashankar and his friend Jayaprakash on Monday night. He said that a dispute between two villages might be reason behind the torching of houses. The police would find the motive and ascertain who was responsible. "There is nothing political in the incident, and it is just local feud between villages,'' he added.

Complimenting the Hassan Rural Police Station Sub-Inspector, Balachandra Nayak, for his efforts to save a family, Mr. Kempaiah said a mob tried to set a house on fire after locking up a woman and four children, and Mr. Nayak saved them.

He said the murder of Girijashankar was connected to a dispute over the appointment of the principal of a college under the Bhoodeshwara Math. Some people were also unhappy with Girijashankar's efforts to solve differences between two groups of students of the college. Cases had been registered in this regard in the local police station, he added.

Mr. Kempaiah said the torching of houses was not planned. People who were enraged at the murder of Girijashankar looted the houses and set them on fire. Cases of dacoity, looting and arson would be booked against those involved, he said.

Caste factor

People of Nittur, Soppenahalli and Kelavatti villages said that members of two sub-castes of the dominant Vokkaliga community — Dasa and Mullu Vokkaliga — were at loggerheads. While Mullu Vokkaligas dominated Dyapalapura, Haruvanahalli had a majority of Dasa Vokkaligas.

According to villagers, Girijashankar, a Dasa Vokkaliga, gained prominence in Salagame hobli in recent days as a member of trusts of temples including the Sri Puradamma Temple. He also played a major role in the affairs of the village panchayat. Villagers say there was a clash between two groups of students — one from Dyapalapura and the other from Haruvanahalli — at the pre-university college under the Bhoodeshwara Math and a case was registered in this regard. Girijashankar reportedly supported students from Haruvanahalli in the dispute and secured bail for them.

Panchayat meeting

To resolve the differences, a panchayat meeting was convened and Girijashankar participated. Although he had reportedly promised to bring the students from Haruvanahalli to the meeting, he could not do so. The meeting was postponed to October 25 and Girijashankar had agreed to produce them on that day. According to villagers, he may have been murdered because he supported students from Haruvanahalli.

Sources said Girijashankar left Hassan on Monday evening to meet Jayaprakash of Kenchamaranahalli and they later visited Soppenahalli. They were murdered when they were returning. The purpose of their visit to Soppenahalli is not clear to the police or the villagers.

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