Puttur: The untimely death of a Blacksmith due to suspected cardiac arrest in a Muslim household loft, fuelled fresh communal tension for sometime in Arlapadav Kalla Padav of Panaje limits on December 13.
Prabhakar Acharya (48), a resident of Katuka died on the loft of a household owned by Avvamma, which led to some turmoil. Incidentally, the woman’s husband resides at Kasargod and the she resides along with the younger school going daughter.
Blacksmith Acharya well-known to the family for the last 8 years after executing certain works at latter’s residence used to frequent their house occasionally. After finishing his day’s work at a nearby location, Acharya visited the house seeking two batons made of palm branches. Meanwhile, school-going daughter of Avvamma sought Blacksmith’s help in removing a cardboard crate kept on the loft. Acharya climbed the loft made of bamboo and died of instant cardiac arrest.
Since the Blacksmith did not alight from the loft for a long time, Avvamma and her daughter grew suspicious and during the search found the Blacksmith dead on the loft. Soon they shouted and alerted nearby people, including a known shopkeeper named Siddique, who found the Blacksmith dead on their arrival.
Few misguided locals gave a communal tinge to the entire incident and started spreading rumours about the death of Hindu Blacksmith in Muslim household. Hundreds of people gathered at the spot and tension prevailed for a while.
District superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Reddy accompanied by senior police officials from nearby police stations visited the residence to enquire about the death. They questioned few of the deceased Blacksmith’s relatives and nearby residents and managed to restore the situation to near normalcy.
The body was later sent to K S Hedge Hospital and the exact cause of death will be known only after the receipt of post-mortem report.
