Karnataka: Dalit Man Killed for Being in Love With Muslim Woman, Two Arrested

The Muslim woman's brother and his friend were arrested for alleged murdering Vijay Kamble.

Hate crime in Karnataka: Two Muslim men Shahabuddin and Nawaz arrested for killing sister’s Dalit Hindu partner in Kalaburagi's Wadi.

(Image: Deeksha Malhotra/The Quint)

Karnataka police has arrested two Muslim men for allegedly stabbing to death a Dalit man who was allegedly in love with the sister of one of the accused. The incident happened in Wadi railway quarters on 25 May, and the victim has been identified as Vijay Kamble.

The victim's family has alleged that the accused were disapproving of Kamble because he was Dalit.

According to the police, the accused Shahbuddin allegedly confronted Vijay Kamble about his relationship with the former's sister. Soon, the verbal argument allegedly escalated into a full-fledged attack, where Shahbuddin and his friend Nawaz allegedly assaulted the Dalit man using iron rods and stabbed him to death.

Police File Case for Murder and SC-ST Atrocity

The Police told The Quint that a case has been registered for murder, under section 302 of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Atrocities Act-1989, and that the FIR has been filed as well.

"Shahbuddin was not approving of his sister's relationship with Kamble. Even the family was against the couple as they were from different communities. This was not a pre-planned attack, but it escalated into one after the arguments went out of control," a police official said.

Initial investigation suggest that the victim suffered over five stab wounds to the abdomen, multiple injuries on the neck and several blows to the head. As of now, the investigation is underway and the police have also deployed additional force in and around the crime scene.

Kamble's Family: Attack Recurred, Marriage Refused Because of Caste  

Speaking to reporters in Wadi, Vijay Kamble's mother Rajaeshwari said, "When I came to know about my son's relationship with the Muslim girl, I requested her brother to agree for the marriage. However, the family refused saying we were from different castes."

A month ago, Vijay was attacked for the first time by Shahbuddin and two of his friends.

"I received a call from my son who informed me that he was being attacked by his girlfriend's brother. I ran to Shalu, a Muslim man living in our neighbourhood, for help. In the meantime, my son had escaped unhurt and was apparently in hiding for 15 days," added the mother.

On realising that Kamble had escaped, the accused allegedly threatened to kill him and warned his mother of consequences if the marriage were to happen. Further, they allegedly asserted that he was from a different caste and that it would be unacceptable for him be in a relationship with the Muslim woman.

Kamble's Friend Recalls Brutal Murder

On 25 May, Kamble and his friend Raghavendra were sitting at a tea shop near the Wadi railway quarters, when the duo Shahbuddin and Nawaz approached them. Raghavendra told reporters in Wadi, "They attacked Vijay without any warning. There was no verbal confrontation and the two people immediately surrounded him and started stabbing him using a knife. They fled the crime scene after severely wounding him."

Kamble was rushed to the nearby private hospital for treatment, but was declared "brought dead" by the doctors there.

His body was shifted to a government hospital for examination and post-mortem autopsy. The friend also told reporters that he was not aware of Kamble's relationship with the Muslim woman and could not identify the duo when they attacked the Dalit man that night.