Ramgadh goons attack forest guards

Injured guards allege hired members of local Dalit group assaulted them when they tried to halt construction on woodland where Sholay was shot

Injured guards allege hired members of local Dalit group assaulted them when they tried to halt construction on woodland where Sholay was shot

The 'Sholay' land dispute took its most violent turn so far when goons allegedly employed by Anantara Hospitality assaulted forest guards Govindappa and Krishnappa yesterday.
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The guards had tried to stop workers from undertaking construction on the site, which is woodland, and therefore a no-development zone, according to Forest Department officials.

Attacked

"It was scary," said Krishnappa. "They assaulted us with the tools the labourers were working with. We could not overpower them, as we were only two, while there were over 50 of them."

Locals claimu00a0resort owners paid the assailants to beat up forest guard Govindappa. G Ravishankar, MD, Anantara Hospitality, refuted the allegations.

The attackers were members of the local chapter of the Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (DSS).
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"Our interest lay in protecting the interests of the Dalit labourers, who are not connected with the controversy," said a DSS leader.

G Ravishankar, managing director, Anantara Hospitality, said, "I don't even know what DSS is. Where does the question of hiring them arise?"

A source revealed that the contractor is a cousin of Mohankumar, a DSS leader, who spearheaded the attack.

The Ramanagar police have booked a case against the assailants, including DSS leaders Mohankumar, and Shivakumar.

Work on the Ramgadh resort began on the midnight of May 1 after Anantara Hospitality managed to get an injunction order from the high court on April 29.

"The urgency shown by the resort owners is obvious," said Thimmarayappa, a range forest officer.
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"They knew we were preparing to move the court in order to claim the land which belongs to the Forest Department. It is unfortunate that they have roped in the DSS to give the issue a political colour."