Shop destroyed, Rs.2 lakh robbed

Hunsur: A row over construction of a road side drain resulted in the family members of a political leader allegedly assaulting the couple and their family members at Yashodhapura in the taluk on Friday evening.

Those who were assaulted are Gurappa’s son Srinivas, his (Srinivas) wife Vasantha and their family members, while those who assaulted them are political leader P. Venkatesh and his family members Rajesh, Manjunath, Sunil, Radha, Sowmya and others.

Srinivas, who is undergoing treatment at a Govt. Hospital, has accused that Venkatesh and his family members not only assaulted him and his family members but also destroyed the shop.

Details: It is said that Gurappa’s family has been running a roadside shop on the Highway at Yashodhapura since about 40 years for a living.

Meanwhile, Venkatesh’s family members were claiming that the land where the shop was located belonged to them and were harassing Gurappa’s family since many years. The matter reached the Court and the Court had said that it was a Govt. land. Despite this, Venkatesh’s family members continued to harass Gurappa’s family and last month, Venkatesh’s relatives Rajesh, Manjunath and Sunil had reportedly assaulted Srinivas’s mother Mahadevamma and his wife Vasantha and a case was registered at Rural Police Station. After coming out on bail three days ago, they again assaulted Srinivas and his family members besides destroying the shop, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, injured Srinivas said that he has been paying the rent and taxes for the land since many years and alleged though the officials were not objecting nor causing problems to him, Venkatesh’s family members were unnecessarily harassing him and his family.

He further said that a week ago, following instructions from the officials concerned, they vacated the land to make way for the construction of a roadside drain and alleged that the family members of Venkatesh again assaulted him and his family members, and threw his father and mother out of the shop and destroyed the shop besides stealing Rs. 2 lakh cash which he had kept for house construction.

Srinivas has lodged a complaint at Rural Police Station besides seeking justice and protection for his family. The Rural Police, who have registered a case under IPC Section 143, 147, 148, 324, 504, 506 and 427 r/w 149, are investigating.