Bengaluru, April 10, 2025 – A brutal scene unfolded in Karnataka’s Haveri district Wednesday when a 35-year-old man, Manjunath, was tied to an electric pole and beaten with sticks by six locals over a Rs 2,000 debt in Hanakanahalli village. The daylight assault, caught on a shaky mobile video that’s now viral, shows Manjunath pleading as blows rain down—sparking outrage and a police hunt for the attackers.
The row started Tuesday night over drinks at a roadside shack. Manjunath, a daily wager, borrowed Rs 2,000 from a friend, promising to repay by morning. When he didn’t, the lender and five others tracked him down at 11 AM, tied him up, and unleashed fury—20 minutes of thrashing, with slaps and kicks too, per NDTV. “They didn’t stop even when he begged,” an eyewitness told The Indian Express. A crowd watched; some filmed, none stepped in.
Police nabbed two suspects—Shivappa and Ravi—by evening, charging all six under BNS Sections 115(2) (hurt) and 133 (mob assault). “It’s barbaric—hunt’s on for the rest,” Haveri SP Anshu Kumar said, per The Hindu. Manjunath, bruised but stable, filed a complaint from a local clinic—his wife’s wails echoing in the video hit hardest. “Over Rs 2,000? This is madness,” she told cops.
Karnataka’s no stranger to vigilante flare-ups—2024 saw 15 such cases (NCRB). Posts on X rage, “Where’s the law?”—others point to booze-fueled feuds plaguing villages. Haveri’s dry fields and thin jobs breed short fuses; Rs 2,000 is a week’s wage here. “Debt’s a spark—anger’s the fuel,” a local teacher mused. Police vow patrols, but trust’s frayed.
This isn’t justice—it’s a breakdown. Will Haveri’s stick-wielders face the rod, or just fade into the dust?
