FIR against 9 over social boycott diktat in B’gavi village

Belagavi: Police have registered a case against nine persons in connection with alleged social boycott of a family belonging to the Kuruba community by members of the same community over personal issues and a dispute over temple worship.According to the complaint, elders at Kondusakoppa village of Belagavi taluk allegedly declared that no one in the village should maintain any contact with the family of Narasoba Kareppa Sambrekara. The boycott was allegedly enforced through threats of financial penalties. Renuka Sambrekara, who filed the complaint, named Mallappa, Vitthal, Baganna, Ramesh, Maling, Gangappa, Vaiju, Piraji, and Yallappa as the accused. The complaint states village elders had announced a fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found interacting with members of the Narasoba family. A reward of Rs 1,000 would also be given to those keeping the village elders informed about those maintaining contact with the family. Although Renuka had filed the complaint on April 6 itself, it was alleged that police registered an FIR only after the issue was highlighted in the media.