Temple Entry Barred: Dalit Couple, Arrest in Tumakuru Sparks Outrage

The Turuvekere police on Saturday detained Narayanappa for allegedly humiliating and preventing a Dalit newlywed couple from entering the Arasamma temple in Tumakuru village. Police sources reported that a high-caste individual blocked the couple in Goni from praying at the village's Arasamma temple in Turuvekere taluk, Tumkur district.

Police stated that the accused scolded the couple, declaring that Dalits are prohibited from entry and urging them to conduct their religious rituals at home. A viral video captured the confrontation, prompting the groom to file a complaint, leading to an FIR at Thuruvekere police station under the SC ST Atrocities Act. The FIR names five main suspects, with one arrest made; efforts to locate the others are ongoing.

In another incident on February 20, Bagalkote police arrested eight individuals following stone pelting during a Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti procession. Bagalkote SP Sidharth Goel reported the disturbance occurred around 10:06 pm, shortly after mosque prayers had ended at 9:30 pm, with some attendees still onsite.

“An FIR has been filed, and eight individuals have been detained related to stone throwing and slipper hurling during yesterday's Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti procession,” said a police official. The disturbance unfolded before the procession reached a mosque. Despite the commotion, which included thrown stones hitting public and police members, no serious injuries were reported. The procession proceeded peacefully thereafter.

The prime accused, along with seven others, faces charges for disrupting police activities, continuing to highlight the ongoing caste and communal tensions in the region. (ANI)