Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Mar 24: A person who was accused of sneaking from behind the bushes and peeping towards a woman who was taking bath at Kepu Kuddupadavu on March 17 this year, stands arrested. When the family members confronted him for this behaviour, he had attacked six persons of the family with stones and sickle, leaving some of them critically injured.

The arrested accused happens to be Prakash Belchada (47), resident of Kuddupadavu Janata Colony near Vittal. On the night of March 17, he was found to be stealthily spying on a woman who was taking bath, without her knowledge. The family members accidentally noticed his shameless act. When they approached Belchada and questioned him, he allegedly raised his sickle and attacked family members of the lady besides pelting stones at them.

In this incident, Ammu Poojary (65), his wife, Lalita (60), son, Ramesh (42), daughter-in-law, Aruna (38), and sister, Rajeevi (26) were injured. They were admitted into the government and private hospitals in Puttur for treatment.

Belchada had then tried to file complaint in the police station at Vittal, accusing the injured of attacking him, by showing the injuries he sustained when the family members threw stones in retaliation and self defence. During investigation, police personnel realized that Prakash was in the habit of picking up quarrel with everyone and sundry in his village. He was always in aggressive mood and threatened people often with his sickle. Although he had earlier been caught when peeping at women when taking bath, people said they had kept mum because his threatening posture. Some had also issued him warning. A case of harassing women by him when travelling in a bus had also reached the police station sometime back, but he had succeeded in escaping with just a warning.

The villagers told the police that Belchada often behaves rudely when drunk. They have asked the police to ensure that he gets proper punishment for his erratic behaviour.