A Dalit boy was bludgeoned to death by three people after he was caught handing over a love letter to a girl belonging to the "upper caste" in Mirji village in Bagalkote district, central Karnataka. Read: Dalit girl thrashed after her shadow falls on upper caste man



The girl's father, brother and another relative are absconding after launching a murderous attack on 17-year-old Anil Parashurama Methri on July 1. The boy succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. His parents, who were also badly assaulted by the girl's family, are undergoing treatment for their injuries in a government hospital.

According to the police, Anil and the girl were studying in the same school at the taluka level and were friends. On July 1, around 8:30 pm, Anil went to the girl's home secretly and was handing over the love letter to her through the window. He was caught red-handed by the girl's father and brother.

After reading the letter, the girl's brother took a wooden log and hit him on his head, it is alleged. Then, they tied him to a pole in the backyard of their home and beat him. On hearing that their son has been caught, his parents rushed to the girl's home. They begged the girl's family to let go off Anil, but it is alleged that even they were assaulted badly.

According to the police, the accused dumped a severely injured Anil in a nearby sugarcane field around midnight. In the morning, Anil's relatives found him in an unconscious state and admitted him to the nearby government hospital. As his condition was critical, they shifted him to the BLDE Hospital in Vijayapura. However, the boy did not survive.

His death led to a tense situation in Bagalkote district. Anticipating trouble, the district administration has deployed additional forces in the village where the incident took place. The police have also launched a search operation to apprehend all the three accused in the case.