Kundapur: Kundapur Rural Police have arrested two persons for allegedly abusing a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) with casteist remarks, threatening him and obstructing him from performing his official duties at the Gulwadi Gram Panchayat office. The accused were apprehended a day after the incident and have been produced before the jurisdictional court.
Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on the complaint filed by the government official.
Incident reported at gram panchayat office
According to the police, the incident took place at around 11 am on July 15 at the Gulwadi Gram Panchayat office.
Prakash Nayak, the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) of Gulwadi village, was attending to official work when two persons entered the office to submit a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) form.
Police said the visitors were identified as Palli Suleiman and his son Shafi, both residents of Gulwadi village.
When the VAO requested them to hand over the form for processing, an argument allegedly broke out inside the office.
Allegations of threats and caste-based abuse
According to the complaint, the accused allegedly abused the officer using obscene language, threatened him with dire consequences and prevented him from carrying out his official responsibilities.
The complainant further alleged that the accused insulted him by using derogatory caste-based remarks during the altercation.
Police stated that the alleged acts also amounted to obstruction of a public servant while discharging official duties.
The allegations contained in the complaint will be examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Case registered under BNS and SC/ST Act
Based on the complaint lodged by the Village Administrative Officer, Kundapur Rural Police registered Crime No. 37/2026.
The case has been booked under Sections 132, 352, 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In addition, police have invoked Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(v-a) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, relating to the alleged caste-based abuse.
Police said the investigation will determine the complete sequence of events and examine the evidence available in the case.
Police arrest accused
Following directions from Kundapur Sub-Division Deputy Superintendent of Police H D Kulkarni, a special police team was formed to trace the accused.
The operation was supervised by Kundapur Circle Inspector Santosh A Kaikini and led by PSI Niranjan Gowda (Law and Order) and PSI Chandrakala M Pattar (Investigation).
The police team, assisted by staff members A S Soora Nayak, Ramesh Naruni and Manjunath Padasalagi, arrested Palli Suleiman and Shafi at Mavinkatte in Gulwadi village on July 16.
Both accused were subsequently produced before the jurisdictional court.
Investigation continues
Police said further investigation is underway to verify all aspects of the complaint and gather additional evidence.
Investigators are expected to record statements from witnesses present at the gram panchayat office and examine other relevant material connected with the case.
Further action will be taken in accordance with the findings of the investigation.
Conclusion
The arrest of the two accused marks swift action by the Kundapur Rural Police in a case involving allegations of caste-based abuse, criminal intimidation and obstruction of a public servant. The investigation is continuing, and the allegations will be examined through the legal process before the court.