Dalit Woman Murdered In Yellapur; Accused Found Dead In Forest
– Yellapur: A 30-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly murdered by her former classmate from another community near her home in Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district, while the accused was found dead in a forest on Sunday morning, police said. Hindu organizations called for Yellapur bundh on Sunday. The incident triggered tension in the town and attracted the attention of politicians, prompting authorities to increase security.
According to the FIR, Ranjitha Banasode had been living with her family for the last four to five years after separating from her husband. The woman, who married a man from Solapur about 12 years ago, got divorced and is survived by her 10-year-old son.
Ranjitha was working as an assistant cook in a government school in Rampur and would leave home around 9 a.m. and return at 1.30 or 2 p.m.
The accused Rafiq Imam Sab Yellur (30), a resident of Kalamma Nagar, was Ranjitha’s former classmate. He allegedly kept in regular contact with her over the phone and later began harassing her, expressing romantic interest in her and pressuring her to marry him and meet him. Ranjitha had shared this with her family and they advised her to stop contacting him.
A few months ago, the victim’s sister had scolded Rafiq, after which Rafiq stopped visiting their home. Recently, Ranjitha had told the family that she had stopped talking to him completely.
“Around 2 pm on January 3, when Ranjitha was returning home from work, the accused allegedly caught her near her house in Ashraya Colony and attacked her with a sharp weapon, aiming at her throat. She suffered severe injuries and died while receiving treatment at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi,” said Deepan MN, Chief of Police, Uttara Kannada.
After the suspect escaped after the murder, the police formed special teams and launched a screening operation.
“During the search in the forest, the body of the accused was found hanging,” the SP told Deccan Chronicle.
The murder has since acquired a political hue with the BJP and Hindu organizations staging protests against the State government. A bandh was called in Yellapur. They also demanded the government to give compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the victim’s family.
Meanwhile, local MLA Shivaram Hebbar said that the family has been provided Rs 8.20 lakh as compensation from the government. Taking a harsh stance against the political mobilization regarding the incident, Hebbar said that using death for political gain does not bring respect to any society.
BJP State president BY Vijayendra, who visited Yellapur and met Ranjitha’s family, demanded the State government to declare compensation of 50 lakh rupees and allocate two acres of land to the family.
Speaking to reporters, Vijayendra called for a thorough investigation into the murder and alleged that such incidents were repeated due to “inaction” of the State government and the Home Ministry. He claimed that in similar cases the Prime Minister and the Home Minister had made statements before the police began investigating and they were rejected as having nothing to do with “love jihad”.
Referring to the murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi two years ago, Vijayendra said that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister should take the matter seriously and ensure a fair and impartial investigation. When the BJP raised its concerns, it claimed that it had become socially stigmatized and incidents of “love jihad” continued to reoccur in the state. He also alleged that misinformation was being spread and cases were being suppressed, which contributed to the tragic incident in Yellapur.
Vijayendra also announced that the BJP will give Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family and will take responsibility for the education of Ranjitha’s 10-year-old son, who is studying in Class 5. Hariprakash Konemane of Vishwadarshan Educational Institution has taken charge of the child’s education, Vijayendra said.
