Kanakapura police open fire to nab 'leader' of attackers on Dalit in Malagalu

Bengaluru: The Kanakapura police on Sunday opened fire at two people who allegedly slashed a Dalit man’s left hand at Malagalu in Ramanagara district on July 21. 

Both the suspects were shifted to hospital. A police officer close to the investigation said both were out of danger.

At least seven armed men entered a colony in the village occupied by Dalits and attacked the residents. Seven people, including two women, were injured during the attack. 

The gang allegedly severed the left hand of Anish Kumar, the son of a former Congress leader. He has been shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru, where he is recovering from the injury. 

The next day, the Kanakapura police apprehended five suspected attackers. But their ringleader, Harsha alias Kaima, and his associate Karunesh alias Kannan, went absconding. 

Six days after the attack, police received a definite lead about the two suspects hiding near a private school in Kaggalipura and went to arrest them. A police team headed by Kanakapura inspector Mithun Shilpi reached the spot for the pre-dawn operation on Sunday. 

When sleuths waylaid Harsha and Karunesh, they attempted to flee, prompting the inspector to fire in the air and warn them. The duo didn’t pay heed and tried to run away by inflicting injury to the officers. 

To protect the team, two officers had opened fire at the suspects.

Last week’s incident triggered fear among the residents of Kanakapura, prompting the police to take swift action. 

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who represents the Kanakapura assembly constituency, had visited Kumar and directed the police to expedite the investigation and arrest all the accused. 

Police have filed an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections dealing with criminal trespass, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons. They have also invoked the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 

This is the second such incident in Kanakapura this month.