Belagavi: Yamakanmaradi police arrested four individuals on Monday in connection with an assault on five persons, said to be Sri Ram Sene activists, at Ingalagi village of Hukkeri taluk on Saturday. The victims were allegedly tied to a coconut tree and beaten by locals. The incident came to light after a video of the assault went viral on social media the following day.Addressing a press conference on Monday, SP Bhimashankar Guled stated that the police took suo motu cognizance of the incident after the video surfaced, as no formal complaint was filed by the victims.Complex background of the caseAccording to SP Guled, one of the five victims, Mahaveer Solapure, is a known rowdy-sheeter previously externed from Belagavi and currently residing in Kalaburagi, intercepted a vehicle transporting four cows on June 26, allegedly posing as gaurakshaks. Owner of the cows, Babajan Multani, reportedly presented valid documents, proving he purchased the cows for dairy purposes. The matter was briefly handled at the Yamakanmaradi police station, and the cows were temporarily sent to a local goshala.After being convinced of the legitimacy of the transport, the five individuals submitted a letter to the police stating they did not wish to pursue the case. However, on June 28, when Multani went to retrieve his cows from the goushala, the same individuals allegedly intercepted the vehicle again. Following a brief confrontation, they left the vehicle but then reportedly followed it to Ingalagi village. While Multani was away from home, the group entered his residence, frightening the women and children present inside. Their unannounced entry led to panic, leading villagers to detain and assault them, tying them to coconut trees.Legal stand: ‘Both sides committed offences’SP Guled said that entering a private residence without permission constitutes a legal offence. Similarly, physically assaulting individuals by taking the law into one’s own hands is also punishable. “Since both parties were involved in unlawful acts, neither came forward to file a complaint,” he explained.Despite this, police arrested four individuals from the village after verifying the assault through video evidence. Separately, a complaint was filed by a vehicle driver, Shivaputra Sanadi, whose vehicle was intercepted by the same group earlier. SP Guled confirmed that legal action is being taken under appropriate provisions.No communal angleIssuing clarification over media speculation, SP Guled said that of the four arrested individuals, one is a Hindu and three are Muslims, and no communal motive was involved. “Unfortunately, some social media channels tried to portray the incident as Muslims attacking gaurakshaks but this was purely a case of public outrage triggered by fear and trespassing — not a Hindu-Muslim issue,” he said.The SP also raised concerns about the misuse of organisational identity. He said Sri Ram Sene should clarify if the rowdy sheeter is a member or misusing the organisation’s name. In that case, they should register a complaint with the police, he said.
