Shivamogga (Karnataka), February 24 – The Karnataka government announced on Tuesday that it would provide a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the family of Class 10 student Sanketh, who was killed after being assaulted in Shivamogga, while police said that they had already detained seven individuals in the case.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials via phone to provide financial assistance to the bereaved family. Following his instructions, Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa made the announcement through Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Prabhulinga Kavalikatti.
The Deputy Commissioner told reporters that the government has sanctioned a total of Rs 15 lakh as compensation for the death of the minor boy, with funds allocated from both the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and the Education Department.
Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil said that seven minors have been detained in connection with the case.
Sanket, 15, a resident of Sulebailu, was killed after being assaulted while trying to save his friend Girish from a group attack on the outskirts of Shivamogga on Monday night.
According to police, the incident stemmed from a quarrel during a cricket game involving Girish and the accused. The dispute had reportedly been ongoing for two days before escalating into violence.
The two were returning home after attending a special class when Girish was allegedly confronted and attacked by a group of boys from the same locality.
Sanket intervened to rescue his friend, but the attackers turned on him and assaulted him severely. He sustained injuries to his chest, face, and stomach and collapsed at the scene.
Girish alerted his family members and nearby residents, who rushed to the spot and found Sanket in a critical condition. He was immediately shifted to a private hospital but succumbed to his injuries on the way, police said.
Shivamogga was tense on Tuesday following the incident, and the student's family warned that they would commit suicide if the guilty were not punished.
Sanket's elder sister, Supriya, said that the family would commit suicide if the guilty were not punished. "After the special class, six boys attacked him. The ganja menace is rampant in the region. They behave indecently. If all six accused are not punished, my whole family will commit suicide," she warned.
Police have tightened security arrangements across the district to prevent any untoward incidents. Additional police personnel have been deployed in the locality where the incident occurred. Officials also said that a new police outpost will be opened in the Urugadur area to strengthen surveillance and law enforcement to prevent untoward incidents in future.
Authorities are also investigating whether the accused had consumed ganja at the time of the incident. The detained minors will undergo medical tests as part of the investigation. Officials said strict action will be taken if any drug links are established.
Condemning the incident, the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said that the murder "by fanatic miscreants allegedly under the influence of ganja is yet another example of the extent to which the Congress government’s appeasement of 'brothers' has emboldened such elements in the state".
"Shivamogga, the home district of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, who envisioned a 'garden of peace for all communities', has today turned into a graveyard of fanaticism, and the appeasement politics of the Congress-led government in Karnataka is directly responsible for this situation," he alleged.