Kalaburagi: Three-year old child killed over political clash

Kalaburagi: Political rivalry between BJP and Congress supporters has allegedly claimed the life of a three-year old girl in Kalaburagi on January 2.

The girl child has been identified as Bharati, three-year old.

According to the sources, Bharati’s uncle Santosh was a member of the Jainapur Gram Panchayat in the previous term and had contested from the same seat last month with the Congress’ support.

His relative Raju contested against him with BJP’s support and won.

Supporters of Raju took out a procession in Jainapur, even burst crackers in front of Santosh’s house.

Following which Santosh’s family members objected the celebration leading to a clash between the BJP and Congress supporters.

Raju and Santosh filed complaints against each other.

PSI Hugar is alleged of visiting Santosh’s house and arrested his family members, including Sangeeta and her daughter Bharati.

Hugar is alleged of manhandling the women in the police station, who later shifted the mother and child to the Kalaburagi District Central Jail.

Sangeeta informed the reporters that Bharati was suffering from fever following the arrest.

She brought that to the police’s attention and requested them to take Bharati to the hospital. The police didn’t pay any heed.

Sangeeta asserted that the child died because of this.

Dr. Singh questioned as to why did the police take the child to jail.

Following the girl’s death, Congress leaders and workers, led by MLAs Dr Ajay Singh (Jewargi), Kaneez Fatima (Kalaburagi-North), former MLCs Allamaprabhu Patil and Tippannappa Kamaknoor, and also the kin of the child, along with hundreds of people staged a protest in front of the Gulbarga Institute Medical Sciences with the body on January 3 in the afternoon.

Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Simi Mariam George, Deputy Commissioner V V Jyothsna and Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Sateesh Kumar visited the spot and tried to convince the agitators to withdraw their dharna.

Kalaburagi SP Simi Mariam George said that a woman was arrested in a case and was jailed with her child in Jewargi police station. The child got sick and was sent to the hospital where she died. A probe is on.

The agitators decided to withdraw their protest only after the SP assured that the PSI will be suspended within 24 hours.

Probe of the body was conducted in front of a judge, before the autopsy. Later, it was handed over to the family.