Karnataka High Court grants bail to 99 convicts in Marakumbi case

Dharwad: The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted bail to 99 of the 101 individuals convicted in connection with caste-related violence against Dalits that rocked Marakumbi in Koppal district in 2014.

The Principal and Sessions Court in Koppal had sentenced 98 individuals involved in the case to life imprisonment, while three others had been awarded a five-year simple jail term.

Manjunath, A1 in the case, has not applied for bail and fellow accused Ramanna Bhovi died after the verdict was pronounced. Manjunath, however, is likely to apply for bail soon. The Dharwad Division Bench, headed by Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar and Justice T G Shivashankaregowda, granted bail to 99 convicts.

Anand Koli, the advocate representing the accused who had appealed against the Koppal court’s verdict, pointed to several procedural lapses on the part of the authorities. These included a delay inthe filing of the FIR and the identification parade, among others.

The conditions of the bail include surety from one individual, in addition to a bond of Rs 50,000. The decade-old case, triggered by a scuffle at a cinema theatre, had left the homes of four Dalit families burnt.

On August 28, 2014, Manjunath was in Gangavathi to watch a movie and got into an altercation with others at the cinema while buying a ticket. Manjunath, who was allegedly assaulted during this row, presumed that the attack had been provoked by the people of Marakumbi village. Chaos ensued when Manjunath, along with his supporters, went to Marakumbi, where four Dalit homes were burnt, besides leaving many injured.

Initially, the local police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against 96 individuals, but the number of accused subsequently rose to 117.

Of these, three individuals hailed from Dalit families and were sentenced to a five-year jail term by the Koppal court.