Belagavi youth dies trying to escape raid

BELAGAVI: A youth carrying arrack died after falling into a well at a field while attempting to escape from excise officials at Honaga village in Belagavi taluk in the wee hours on Saturday.

The deceased is Adiveppa Siddappa Muchandi (22) from Sonatti village in Belagavi taluk. Acting on a tip-off, the excise officials raided an illegal arrack manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Honaga around 5.30am.

All those engaged in manufacturing the illicit liquor escaped. Muchandi, who was running with arrack, was chased by a few policemen and in an attempt to escape, he entered into an agriculture field and fell into an open well.

When the news spread, hundreds of villagers rushed to the spot and hurled stones at the excise staff.  Eknath, a staff from the department, got injured while a vehicle of the department too was damaged.
Muchandi’s relatives alleged that the excise officials killed Muchandi and threw the body into the well. Kakati police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.