Mob assaults three minor boys in Gadag for sending obscene messages

Gagag

Tensions flared in Bannahatti village of Naragund taluk, Gadag district, after three minor boys were allegedly stripped, tied to a flagpole, and brutally assaulted by a group of locals, including the families of three minor girls. The boys were accused of sending obscene messages and teasing the girls, prompting a violent response.

The incident reportedly took place at the village panchayat office, where the boys were publicly humiliated and beaten. Following the assault, they were admitted to the Naragund taluk hospital. One of the boys, traumatised by the ordeal, allegedly consumed insecticide on May 30 and was rushed to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi, where he remains under treatment.

Authorities registered a case on May 31 against 55 individuals, including members of the girls’ families, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In retaliation, a counter-complaint was filed by the girls’ families, accusing the boys’ relatives of offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Superintendent of Police B.S. Nemagouda visited the village to lead the investigation and assess the volatile situation. Additional police personnel have been deployed in Bannahatti to maintain law and order as tensions persist. Further inquiries are ongoing.