Action Sought Against Landlord for Beating up Student

March 16, 2017: Arunachal Pradesh Governor P.B.
Acharya and Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday shot off letters to
their Karnataka counterparts seeking legal action against the landlord
for assaulting Higio Gungtey, an undergraduate student.

The
22-year-old Gungtey, a fourth-semester student of Christ University in
Bengaluru, was allegedly assaulted by his landlord Hemanth Kumar on
March 6 over the usage of water. He was also forced to lick his landlord
house owner’s shoes for using excessive water.

Acharya, who had a
telephonic talk with his counterpart Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, said such
irresponsible and uncivilized behaviour of a few needed to be condemned
by one and all. “It is against the very spirit of national character,”
the Arunachal Governor said and requested Vala to give special attention
towards these problems and challenges of students from the North East,
particularly Arunachal Pradesh.

Acharya also directed Karnataka
Chief Secretary Subhash Chnadra Khuntia to take immediate and strong
action against the culprits. “A criminal case under the provision of
SC/ST act may also be initiated against the culprits,” he demanded.

Acharya,
who also met Gungtey’s relatives at Raj Bhavan, spoke to the boy’s
parents Higio Tama and Higio Yame, who are in Bengaluru to meet their
son and take further steps. Chief Minister Pema Khandu also shot off a
letter to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah requesting his personal
intervention in punishing the culprit.

Khandu specifically noted
in his letter that though several charges were filed against the
culprit, Hemanth Kumar, a lawyer by profession, had managed to obtain
anticipatory bail. The Chief Minister drew Siddaramaiah’s attention to
the fact that every year, thousands of students from Arunachal Pradesh
go to Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, for higher and technical
education.

While pointing that these students face racial
discrimination in one or other form, Khandu asserted that such
discrimination ought to be negated in every possible way.

“I
would therefore seek your personal intervention in the present case to
ensure that the culprit is punished according to the law of the land and
justice is delivered to the victim and his family members.”

Source: http://www.northeasttoday.in