Karnataka   

Arrest of 16 women evokes protests

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanga and self-help group members staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Tuesday in protest against the arrest of 16 women who were protesting against the reopening of a wine store at Chikkahole on Monday.

It said that although the owner of the wine shop agreed to shift the wine store following the protests, he got a stay order from the court against the Excise Department’s cancellation of licence and reopened the outlet.

When the protesters tried to lay siege to the shop on Monday, he lodged a complaint. Despite the police trying to convince them about the court order, the protesters persisted and the police arrested 16 women.

Mr. Puttappa has agreed to withdraw his complaint against the protesters. But the arrested women said that they would come out only after the wine shop was closed.

Later, the women agitators were taken to women’s prison in Mysore.

Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene and Sthree Shakti groups urged the Deputy Commissioner to take steps to release the arrested women.

They raised slogans against the wine shop owner. They criticised the district administration for not understanding the problems of Chikkahole villagers on humanity grounds. Mahesh, Chikkahole Gram Panchayat president, took the decision not to renew the wine shop licence.

Meanwhile, the protesters took the Excise Department officials to task for not initiating preventive steps to close the wine shop at Chikkahole.

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