Appeals against Kambalahalli communal clash admitted

Bangalore, Mar 27 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court today admitted two appeals filed by the State Government, challenging the December 4, 2006, order passed by the Second Additional Sessions Judge, Kolar, acquitting all the accused in the Kambalahalli communal clash between Vokkaligas and Scheduled Castes on March 11, 2000, which claimed the lives of six people.

Mr Justice Manjula Chellur and Mr Justice Anand admitted the appeals against the acquittal of the accused in the alleged murder of one Krishna Reddy by the accused, B K Anjanappa and 17 others, and against the attack on the family of complainant Venkatarayappa, who belonged to SC community, by 32 Vokkaligas.

The prosecution case was that one of the accused had contested as a JD candidate in the Panchayat election in 2000 and the complainant and his family members had supported the Congress candidate. Irked by this, the accused had attacked one Shankarappa and Narasimhappa of the SC community on March 10, 2000. When the duo was returning to Kambalahalli the next day after taking treatment in hospital along with the complainant's son Sreeramappa and Teacher Anjanappa, all the accused had formed an unlawful assembly and attacked them with lethal weapons. The scared victims had run into the houses of Venkatarayappa, Chikkapapanna and Guddiyamma. The accused had pelted stones on the houses, bolted the locks from outside and set it afire, burning alive all those inside the house.

The lower court had acquitted all the accused after trial.

UNI