Hate Watch: Woman beaten, dragged out of temple, shows CCTV in Karnataka Some publications claim she is a Dalit, but the police deny it
10, Jan 2023 | CJP Team
A woman was allegedly beaten up for entering a temple in Amruthalli in Bengaluru, Karnataka. As per news reports, the 65-year-old man in charge of the temple, who beat her, has been arrested.
While some publications claimed she is a Dalit and even the woman appears to have spoken to the media that the accused hurled casteist abuses at her, the police have told a few media portals that the woman is of unsound mind and is not a Dalit, reported Deccan Herald.
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The incident took place in Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Amruthalli, Munikrishnappa, the accused, has alleged that the woman tried to enter the sanctum sanctorum and insisted on sitting next to the idol and when he denied, she spat on him and hence he beat her up.
However, the incident has been caught on CCTV camera and the video footage has been circulated on social media.
This is from #Bengaluru, #Karnataka.
Dalit women Assaulted By Temple Administration Board Member, And Restrict Her to Entered Gods Darshan.
Victim Filed Complaints Against Accused at Amrtuhalli Police Station.#Bangalore #Amrtuhalli #Dalit #Casteism #DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/OUnhdaXXcx
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 6, 2023
It can be seen in the video that the man mercilessly beat her up and dragged her out of the temple. Further, the external CCTV caught the man wielding a stick and threatening to beat her up while another man in a priest outfit was also seemingly heckling her.
“I was inside the temple when Munikrishnappa abused me saying, ‘I never take bath and will not be allowed to take darshan.’ Holding my hair he dragged me outside where he beat me up. Munikrishnappa threatened to kill me and my husband if I spoke about the incident to anyone,” she said in her complaint as per a Times of India report.
The incident took place on December 31, however the CCTV footage was received later, that is when the woman filed the complaint and the accused was arrested on January 7. The police registered an FIR under IPC sections related to assaulting and threatening a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation.
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