This story is from November 16, 2021

Karnataka: Seven villagers protesting against bar in Chikkamagaluru arrested

Seven villagers, including three women, who protested against the starting of a liquor outlet in Chikkamagaluru district, were arrested from their house early Monday on charges of ransacking the bar and destroying property worth Rs 6 lakh.
Karnataka: Seven villagers protesting against bar in Chikkamagaluru arrested
Representative image
CHIKKAMAGALURU: Seven villagers, including three women, who protested against the starting of a liquor outlet in Chikkamagaluru district, were arrested from their house early Monday on charges of ransacking the bar and destroying property worth Rs 6 lakh.
Police said the incident took place at Emmedoddi-Maslapura village in Kadur taluk of the district, about 250km from Bengaluru.
The arrested persons have been sent to judicial custody and are in Chikkamagaluru district jail.
Villagers alleged a police team secured the arrest of women in a high-handed manner, breaking open the door or removing rooftiles to enter their house. District SP Akshay MH denied the allegation and said they followed the due procedure. A police officer said protests against the bar began two months ago after Girish, who has a valid liquor licence, started a bar and restaurant in Emmedoddi-Maslapura village in Kadur. It’s the only liquor outlet in a 10km radius. The village is 18km from Kadur town.
With labourers choosing to spend their evening there, villagers staged a silent protest in front of the taluk administration and later at Chikkamagaluru DC’s office in October, seeking closure of the outlet. With the issue generating heat, the bar downed its shutters.
Later, police raided a shop in the village that allegedly stored and sold liquor on the sly. After this incident, the licensed liquor shop reopened its shutters, leading to fresh protests. Alleging that the shop was distributing liquor free to woo customers, villagers allegedly ransacked it on Friday.
Mahantesh, who works in the bar, filed a complaint with Kadur Rural station, accusing villagers of ransacking the shop. He alleged restaurant property worth Rs 6 lakh was damaged. The villagers filed a counter-complaint against the staff. Based on the complaint by the bar staff, Kadur police picked up seven persons for questioning and released them later. On Monday, they arrested all the seven. District police chief Akshay MH said they provided protection to villagers during their protest. Now, they were acting against the attackers based on video evidence provided by the bar staff.
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