Nagappa Kodli, secretary of Ambewadi gram panchayat, was assaulted in Belagavi’s Ambewadi village for allegedly refusing to issue official documents in Marathi, marking the second such incident in the district within a month, officials reported on Tuesday.
Kodli was attacked on Monday evening near his office while riding his two-wheeler. Belagavi police commissioner Ada Martin stated that a group, led by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) district convener Chetan Patil’s son and his associate Vikram Yellurkar, used iron rods, knives, and sticks in the assault. Four to five others were also involved, though Patil’s son’s name has not yet been disclosed by police.
Suffering severe injuries to his head and legs, Kodli is currently being treated at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS). In his complaint to Kakati police, he alleged that the group had repeatedly threatened him for not issuing official documents in Marathi. He explained that government regulations mandate the use of Kannada, after which he was attacked. Nearby farmers intervened and rescued him, the complaint stated.
Commissioner Martin confirmed that all attackers are currently absconding, and a search operation is underway.
Investigations have revealed that the prime accused, Patil’s son and Yellurkar, had previously opposed Kodli’s deployment of over 350 workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, allegedly seeking control over project contracts, which was against government norms.
This attack follows a similar incident last month in Sulebhavi village, where Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus conductor Mahadev Hukkeri was assaulted for not speaking in Marathi, leading to a temporary suspension of Karnataka-Maharashtra bus services.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Shetty, director of BIMS, stated that Kodli has sustained multiple serious injuries and will require at least 25 days of hospitalization followed by extended bed rest. He is currently in the trauma and emergency block but is out of danger.
A case has been registered under sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 131 (assault with weapons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In response to increasing attacks on Kannadigas, Kannada organizations have called for a statewide bandh on March 22.
