A police case was registered against unknown people on Monday, a day after Kannada writer Yogesh Master was attacked outside the venue of a literary event in Davanagere, Karnataka. The police are suspecting it to be the handiwork of some right-wing organisation. According to PTI, two people have been arrested in connection with the incident, though this has not been independently verified by Scroll.in.
The attack took place on Sunday when the Dundhi author was having tea after attending a book release event. A group of around 10 people came in motorcycles and smeared his face with black ink. The attackers also warned him with dire consequences for writing against Hindu gods, Davanagere Superintendent of Police Bhimashankar Guled told PTI. The attackers reprotedly chanted Jai Shree Ram and fled the spot. “They used foul language and pulled my hair. It was a physical attack that left a deep mental impact,” the author told The Hindu.
The function was organised by a Kannada tabloid run by journalist Gauri Lankesh. The police complaint was filed by the organisers who also took out a protest march to demand a thorough investigation into the incident and strict action.
The author had courted controversy in 2013 when he was arrested after some Hindu outfits lodged a complaint against him. They had accused him of hurting the Hindus’ sentiments by depicting Hindu god Ganesha in “poor light” in his novel Dhundi.
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