Dalit villager fined Rs, 25,000 for son's entry into temple, 5 held including priest

Koppal (Karnataka) [India], September 22 (ANI): Five persons including a priest have been taken into police custody for allegedly asking a Dalit family to pay Rs 25,000 fine to "sanitise" a temple, in Miyapura village in Karnataka's Koppal district, after their four-year-old son entered it, police said on Wednesday.

A case had been registered in the Kushtagi Police station against the five accused under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act), police said.

According to T Sreedhara, Superintendent of Police, Koppal, a villager Chandrashekhar belonging to the Channadasara community was on Tuesday asked to pay Rs 25,000 after his four-year-old son entered the Anjaneya Temple on his birthday.

Based on a complaint filed by the Social Welfare Assistant Director Balachandra, five people -- Kanakappa Poojari, Hanuma Gowda, Gavi Siddappa Myageri, Virupaksha Gowda Myageri and Sharana Gowda--have been taken into custody by the Kustagi Police.

The Channadasara community was ordered by upper-caste villagers to pay fines of Rs 25,000 for the boy's entry into the temple and Rs 11,000 to sanitize the temple, the police official said.

After a protest by the Channadasara community, Tehsildar Siddesh and the Deputy Superintendent of Police Rudesh Ujjanakoppa held a meeting with villagers

Upper caste villagers said that the incident took place due to a "misunderstanding". (ANI)