Gopalapura turns into a ghost town

TUMKUR: A deathly silence pervades Gopalapura village in Tumkur where Honnamma (45), a firebrand dalit woman, was stoned to death by villagers last week. Following the murder, and arrest of 10 persons in connection with the case, villagers have quietly left Gopalapura.
Hundred families reside in this village. Around 20 persons, alleged to be supporters of the JD(S), are suspected to be behind Honnamma's death.Honnamma was waylaid and brutally attacked and left to die in a drain last Monday.
Initially, only families of the accused slinked away from the village. Later 95 other families followed suit fearing investigations.
'All their mobiles are switched off. We and the other villagers here have been trying to contact them," said P S Harsha, superintendent of police. Of the 250 mobiles in the village, nearly 200-220 mobiles are switched off, police say. None of the villagers have returned even for a day, they add.