Atrocity Tracking and Monitoring System (ATM)

Mass Attack on Dalits of Uppuluru Village (Code: DSS-AP-WG-02, Date: 18-Apr-2015 )

Case Title

Case primary details

Case posted by	Dalit Sthree Sakthi (DSS)
Case code	DSS-AP-WG-02
Case year	18-Apr-2015
Type of atrocity	Other Crimes Against SCs
Whether the case is being followed in the court or not?	Yes

Fact Finding

Fact finding date

Fact finding date

Not recorded

Case Incident

Case Incident details

Case incident date	18-Apr-2015
Place	Village: Not recorded Taluka:Not recorded District: WEST GODAVARI State: Andhra Pradesh
Police station	Not recorded
Complaint date	18-Apr-2015
FIR date	19-Apr-2015

Case brief

Case summary

Kollabattula Jakaraiah, Karakati Pavan Kumar, Karakati Yesu, Tanukula Yosebu, Devabattula Paul and others SC mala by caste were playing cricket in the playground of Zilla Parishad High School, Uppuluru, Undi Mandal of West Godavari District on the evening of 17th April 2015. While SCs were playing, one Mr. Oduri Manikanta Kapu by caste of the same village asked them to allow him to play. Kollabattula Jakaraiah and the others said that as they have already played 3 matches it is not possible to join him in the middle. Immediately Oduri Manikanta pulled the wickets and scolded in filthy language saying, ‘Mala lanjakodukullara! This ground and school was given by Yerra Community, You don’t have any right to play cricket here, if at all you want to play, buy an acre of land and play in that’. Later Manikanta and 20 Kapu youth scolded with filthy language and came to attack the dalit youth. Feared dalit youth returned to their homes, informed the same to their parents and elders. The caste elders of the village complained to the ward members Talluri Lukaiah and Penumala John husband of ward member Penumala Subbamma, they in turn complained in the Panchayat office. President and Vice President of the village panchayat informed to the caste elders of the dalits to come at 5pm on 18/4/2015 to the panchayat office.

On 18th April around 5pm Penumala John, Lukaiah, Naredla Anand Rao husband of Naredla Pushpavathi ward member, Kollabattula Jakaraiah and others went to the panchayat office and narrated about the incident to the President and Vice President. After listening to the incident, Yerra Rajesh said that he has been elected as the Vice president for a period of 5years; therefore he wants to be loyal to his Kapu community and started beating Devabattula Paul with coconut branch. Frightened to the incident, dalits questioned them. The Kapus pushed them out and beat them cruelly. While they were fleeing, about 300 Kapus chased them until dalit colony with knives (Veta Kodavallu), glass pieces, blades, stones, iron rods etc., causing injuries to the above mentioned 11 dalits. Yerra Venkata Subbaiah s/o Rama Rao, kapu by caste instigated their youth by uttering, ‘ rape whomever you like and kill whomever you come across’. The terrible attack of Kapus continued for 2 hours and they didn’t allow the press and ambulance to come into dalit colony. During this attack, the Kapus targeted Jakaraiah and damaged his auto. Later the police came into the village and moved the injured to the Government hospital at Bhimavaram. As Kollabattula Jakaraiah was grievously injured, he moved to Government Hospital at Eluru.

The same night i.e., on 18th April the Kapus imposed social boycott and cut the supply of electricity power and water to the dalit colony. Dalits lodged a complaint in Undi Police station on the same night but the complaint was not registered and in the mean time a counter case was registered on the dalits immediately. With the intervention of DSS a police picket was placed in the dalit colony and the case was registered. One Mr Oduri Kittaiah belonging to Kapu community came to the dalit colony on the evening of 20th April and threatened saying“Mala lanja kodukullara! Who put the case on us come out”. In the mean time the police took him into custody.

Socio Economic condition of the village:

Plight of Panchayat Members:

In Uppuluru village there are about 200 SC Mala families, 400 Kapu families apart from the other communities. The SCs have 900 votes approximately, whereas the Kapus have around 1200 votes. The SCs have to depend on the Kapus for everything and they treat dalits very meanly. The whole village is under the grip of Kapus and the gram panchayat is also under their control. In the gram panchayat 9 ward members belonging to Kapu community and only 3 ward members from the dalit community. The dalit ward members are not allowed to sit in the board meeting of panchayat and they don’t even have chairs to sit. The dalit ward members are not involved in decision making and all the decisions are made by Kapus only. The minutes book is sent to the home of the ward members with Rs. 50/- for their signature and are given a fish once in a year.

The government allocated 7 acres of land towards house sites in 1986. The road side plots were assigned to dalits, whereas kapus forcibly sent Dalits to the back side and occupied the front part and built their houses. Out of 7 acres of land Dalits built their houses in 3 acres and the Kapus in 4 acres. Even to this day the house site pattas are on the name of Dalits but under the possession of Kapus.

Situation of Children:

Anganwadi center is being run in rented premises. There is no quality in mid-day meals in the school. In High school also there is caste discrimination and the dalit students are threatened by the Kapus saying that the school is built by Kapus hence it belongs to them. They frighten the students saying that they will fail them in 10th class exams. There are only 2 to 3 persons who are graduates, some up to 10th and many illiterates.

Drinking Water:

There are two water tanks of which one tank of water is filtered for Kapus whereas the other is not filtered and supplied to dalits. Even this water is not supplied every day. The kapus use motors and pump in water, thus denying the dalits. In order to trouble the dalits more water is supplied while the Dalits go out for works. There are very few water taps in the dalit locality and as they pass through the drainages, get mixed with dirty water and the dalits have to fetch the same dirty water. Hence the dalits use the panchayat pond adjacent to their houses. They dug and clean the pond with their own expenses, whereas the panchayat is charging Rs 3000/- per year as tax for using the water.

Previous instances:

Since 3 generations the Kapus have been attacking the dalits and exploiting them by all means. For instance many years ago Devabattula Ashervadam was beaten on the day of his marriage and all the marriage material was damaged. 15 years ago Karakati Dasu has been attacked as his hand touched Oduri Rathaiah Kapu by caste. 10 years ago Devabarikina Prem Babu was beaten brutally by stamping foot on his neck as the buffalo of Kapus which he was rearing went into the fields of Kapus. 2 years ago Badde Bangari was beaten brutally by alleging that she was bringing fire hood from the fields of kapus. One year back Gudise Anand Rao and his son were beaten cruelly on simple cause that they are looking at the kapu’s house. The kapus have erected the flex of Pavan Kalyan the president of Jana Sena in front of the church. Without any reason they have been warning the dalit youth alleging that there are some damages on the flex and who have caused it.

Liquor Belt Shop:

Dalit colony even doesn’t have facility of street lights and roads. Beside the elementary school the kapus run a liquor belt shop and a toddy shop.

Intervention of DSS:

• Conducted fact finding

• Got the case registered

• Organized to the community

• Strengthened the community, victims and witnesses by organizing awareness meeting with the concerned police officials

• Got the flex of Pavan Kalyan removed in front of the Church

• Followed up investigation and got 8 accused arrested

• Got the liquor belt shop and toddy shop removed

List of Documents:

• Fact finding report

• Copy of complaint

Present Status:

• 8 persons remanded

• Case is under investigation

• Remaining accused to be arrest immediately

• Relief and compensation to be given to the victims immediately

• Permanent solution for the drinking water to be done immediately

• The house sites under the possession of the Kapus be handed over to the dalits immediately

• Basic amenities should be provided to the dalit colony immediately

• Create awareness on SC,ST (PoA) Act to the Kapus

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