Bagalkot MLA accused of assaulting couple over loan repayment, denies charges

GADAG: Bagalkot MLA Veeranna Charantimath has been accused of brutally assaulting a tribal couple over repayment of a loan taken from a co-operative bank.

The couple, Mallaiah Hiremath and Lakshmi from Adavisomapura thanda in Gadag taluk, who were allegedly assaulted with chairs and iron pipes, are now undergoing treatment at Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences.

The couple had taken a loan of Rs 60 lakh from the Belur Gurubasaveshwara Credit Co-operative Society to set up a beaten rice (avalakki) unit on 30 guntas of land in Navanagar. They had gone to the bank to seek extension of the repayment tenure.

The MLA then reportedly summoned them to a guest house where he allegedly demanded them that they turn over the 30 gunta property to the bank. When the couple did not heed his demand, the MLA assaulted them, it is said.

However, Veeranna Charantimath denied the allegations claiming that he returned from Bengaluru only on Thursday evening. Accusing the couple of being frauds, he said there could be vested interests behind them.

He also said the couple had borrowed heavily from another bank by giving fake documents and a case has been registered against them.