Woman has a miscarriage after brutal beatings; BJP supporter, who locked up 16 plantation laborers including the woman, goes into hiding

A pregnant woman, who was in the group, lost her baby due to the assault. The police said that the woman has been admitted to the hospital after she had a miscarriage.

The police have registered a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act against Jagadish Gowda and his son Tilak Gowda. The father and son duo have gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, the BJP said that the accused has no relation with the party.

The victims were daily wage earners at the tea plantation. They had taken an Rs.9 lakhs loan from Jagadish Gowda. When they failed to return the money, an argument broke out and Jagadish Gowda, the owner of the plantation, locked them up and thrashed them brutally.

According to the police, some people went to Balehonnur police station on 8 October and filed a complaint saying that their relatives are kept as hostages by Jagadish Gowda. However, they withdrew the complaint on the very same day.

The very next day a young Dalit woman was admitted to the district hospital after having a miscarriage caused allegedly during the torture by Jagadish Gowda. After this, another complaint was sent to the district police chief. That was when the news of 16 laborers locked up by Jagadish Gowda came to be known.

In the end, the police arrived and set them free.

The accused locked them up for 15 days in the tea plantation after some laborers left without paying him the loan amount. All those who were locked up, including the woman, were tortured daily and orally abused. He also confiscated their mobile phones.