Zilla Nagarika Horata Samiti condemns assault on woman rag picker in Kalaburagi

The Zilla Nagarika Horata Samiti has strongly condemned the brutal assault on a 27-year-old woman rag picker from the Mangarwadi community in Kalaburagi last week and demanded immediate and impartial action against the accused.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, samiti leaders Avvanna Myakeri and Ambaraya Ashtagi alleged that the police failed to register the victim’s complaint promptly and showed negligence in handling a serious crime involving a woman.

On the early morning of February 7, while she was on her regular duty collecting rags and had reached Malagatti Cross in an auto rickshaw, a group of six youths allegedly tried to force her into a car. They reportedly assaulted her with a ladle, causing a head injury, and fractured her hand before fleeing the scene, Mr. Myakeri said.

The victim, Preeti S. Upadhya, is a widow with two children whose husband died nine years ago due to health issues.

Mr. Ashtagi said that the victim was allegedly targeted with the intention of sexual assault. When she raised an alarm, the attackers physically assaulted her and attempted to present the incident as a case of robbery to portray her in bad light.

Mr. Ashtagi alleged that the delay in filing the complaint and the fact that the accused are still at large raises serious concerns. There appears to be pressure on the police not to arrest the culprits.

He alleged that the hospital where the woman was undergoing treatment tried to insist on her early discharge, which they described as suspicious and indicative of the involvement of influential persons attempting to shield the accused.

Describing the assault as a grave violation of human rights, the samiti demanded the immediate arrest of all accused, and protection for the victim and her family. They warned that the samiti would stage protests in front of Police Commissioner office if justice was denied, and the case was not investigated transparently and in a time bound manner.