Venkatesh

Dalit HRD

Karnataka

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on June 23,2020 regarding the brutal assault and murder of Mr. Venkatesh, who worked with other Dalit human rights defenders on various social issues. 

Mr. Venkatesh and his friend were insulted by Mr. Jagadeesh Gowda, a hotel owner, when they asked for water several times while eating at the hotel. The upper caste owner told the duo, “Firstly it is wrong on my part to have ‘you people’ having food in my hotel. Should we also provide water as soon as you ask?” When Mr. Venketesh told Mr. Gowda that they were not being provided free food, he called his employees and assaulted Mr. Venkatesh and his friend brutally with their help. When Mr. Venkatesh’s brother-in-law came to know about the incident, he took the injured duo to the nearby hospital, but they were referred to another hospital as it did not have adequate treatment facilities. Although Mr. Venkatesh was treated at a hospital for three days, he did not recover and was referred to hospitals in Bengaluru, following which he died.

Mr. Venkatesh’s brother-in-law tried to file an FIR immediately after the incident, but his attempts were foiled by the Sub Inspector and Circle Inspector of Arakalgud Police Station. A case was registered against Mr. Gowda and three other hotel employees on June 8, 2020 under Sections 323, 324, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Section 3(1) of the SC/ ST Prevention of Atrocities Act only after thousands of Dalits gathered on the streets demanding justice for the slain activist. The Superintendent of Police (SP) ordered that the accused also be charged under Section 302 after Mr. Venkatesh’s death on June 10, 2020; all the accused were subsequently arrested.