DC orders compensation in assault case

The Dakshina Kannada district administration has directed the Social Welfare Department to pay Rs 80,000 as compensation to Sundara Malekudiya, who was severely injured in an attack by another person over a land dispute on July 26.
Sundara, belonging to the Malekudiya (ST) community and a resident of Kataje in Belthangady taluk, was attacked by one Gopala Gowda, who claimed that the land given to Sundara by the Forest department for cultivation belonged to him, an official release here today said.
Sundara's fingers on the right arm were severed and his left arm badly injured in the attack by Gowda using a weed-clearing machine, it said.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim, who visited Sundara at the hospital on July 31, issued the direction for compensation, to be paid under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes People Act, the release said.
Gopala Gowda is absconding, while his wife Pushpalatha who was present at the time of the attack, has been arrested, police said.
The representatives of the community and other organisations had staged a march in Belthangady on July 30 demanding the immediate arrest of Gopala Gowda.
Activists of the 'Karnataka Advasi Hakkugala Samanvaya Samiti' and CPI-M also took part in the demonstration.