20 sentenced to life for killing Dalits in Badanaval : No More killings please

Though justice was delayed, it was not denied,” said Dalit leader Bettaiah Kote, reacting to the sentencing

MYSORE(India): The sixth additional district sessions judge of the Special Court, L.F Malavalli, on Thursday sentenced the 20 convicts in the Badanaval Dalit killings case to life imprisonment.

Mr. Malavalli, who, on October 28, convicted 20 people accused of brutal murder of three Dalits at Badanaval village of Nanjangud taluk in 1993, also imposed a fine of Rs. 15,000 on each of the accused and ordered them to pay compensation to the families of those murdered and to those injured in the clash. According to the order, Rs. 50,000 should be paid to the families of each of the three killed, and Rs. 15,000 to each of the two injured.

All the 20 convicts were present in the court hall when the quantum of punishment was announced.

Later, Counsel of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Sudarshan told presspersons that the prosecution had demanded death sentence to the convicts. He said he would discuss with his seniors on approaching the High Court seeking death sentence to the convicts.

C.N. Jagadish, the advocate who represented the accused, said he would challenge the judgment in the High Court.

Tension

Tension prevailed on the court premises for some time when relatives of the convicts, who were present in large numbers, started shouting slogans after the quantum of punishment was announced.

The police brought the situation under control.

Shock

The murders on March 25, 1993 shocked the society and was a major embarrassment for the then Congress Government, led by M. Veerappa Moily.

The caste clash ensued between the two communities as ‘caste' Hindus opposed the entry of Dalits in to Siddeshwaraswamy temple. B.R. Narayanaswamy, Nataraj and Madhukar were killed during the clash and B.G. Swamy and Krishnamurthy were injured.

Mr. Moily handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe. On a complaint filed by a Dalit, the CBI submitted a charge sheet in February 1995.

Of the 23 accused, three have died.