Karnataka - Belgaum   

Belgaum bandh near total

Show of strength: Women participating in a rally seeking action against the accused in the Sheetal Chougale murder case, in Belgaum on Friday.

Belgaum: A near total bandh was observed here on Friday to protest against the alleged rape and murder of Sheetal Chougale.

It was called by women activists. Barring a few stone throwing incidents on College Road, the bandh was peaceful. NWKSRTC suspended its services, commercial establishments including cinemas, vegetable and fruit markets, remained closed for the day. Autorickshaws remained off the road. Attendance in schools, colleges, government offices and banks was thin. Security was tightened in the city.

Members of the Bar Association abstained from court work in support of the bandh call. Association president S.S. Kivadsannavar told The Hindu that a resolution had been unanimously passed requesting all members not to lend legal he lp to the accused Praveen Shintre or other members of the Shintre gang. He said several women advocates in Karnataka High Court had conveyed their support to the bandh call and expressed solidarity with the women activists who had taken up the case.

Sheetal Chougale of Khanapur was allegedly raped and murdered in a bungalow in Laxminagar on August 11 and her body was found in a forest in Khanapur taluk after two days. It is alleged that her husband Ravindranath Chougale gave “supari” (contract) to Praveen Shintre to kill her. Ravindranath had allegedly dropped Sheetal in the Laxminagar bungalow promising to return in few minutes.

Her parents filed a police complaint after the incident and women activists started pressuring the police to take action. The police arrested five members of the Shintre gang. But Praveen and other members of the gang are absconding.

A large number of people, including women, took out a procession from Bogarves. They carried portraits of Sheetal Chougale and banners seeking action against Shintre and his gang members. The procession culminated at Hutatma Chowk (Martyr’s Circle) in Khade Bazaar where a meeting was held. President of the State unit of the National Federation of India Women Parimala Vijaykumar, Varsha Ajrekar, Thyuri Roderick, Ujwala Kalkundri and Anjali Gadgil spoke.

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