Kamaraj, the Zomato delivery executive who is accused of assaulting Hitesha Chandranee, a software engineer and beauty influencer, thinks he was assaulted because “he is a local” of Bengaluru.
Rupesh Rajanna, a Kannada language activist, said that Kamaraj has lodged a complaint to this effect with Karunnada Sevakaru, an organisation that claims to represent Kannada linguistic and regional rights.
Kamaraj’s complaint to the organisation states that Chandranee had “abused him in Hindi” as he replied in English and Kannada. Leaders of Karunnada Sevakaru organization say that Kamaraj, a Bengaluru resident was attacked for his identity as a south Indian man.
‘No Clout For ‘Local’ Delivery Executives’
Rajanna’s Karunnada Sevakaru has also provided Kamaraj with a lawyer. “Chandranee is a north Indian woman. She treated a local man improperly.
“She behaved as if he was inferior to her. The reason for the behaviour cannot just be her higher societal status. It is because he is a south Indian man that she behaved that way with him”
The incident came to light when Chandranee, who works at a software firm in Bengaluru, put up a video of herself, narrating her version of an alleged assault that took place at her residence on 10 March. She accused delivery executive Kamaraj of punching her and breaking her nose.
On March 11, Kamaraj spoke to the media and accused Chandranee of verbally abusing him and hurling slippers at him. In the altercation that ensued between them as food was allegedly delivered late, Chandranee hurt herself with her ring, he added. On 16 March Kamaraj lodged a complaint against her with Bengaluru police.
While the Electronic city police have booked Kamaraj for assault and voluntarily causing hurt based on Chandranee’s complaint lodged on 10 March, the latter is now booked on charges of criminal intimidation and assault based on the former’s complaint.
“Kamaraj came to me because he was not being backed by anyone. When I heard his story I realised that only Chandranee’s version was being heard and his was being ignored. There are many such local delivery executives and drivers who are wrongly accused,” Rupesh Rajanna said. It was Rajanna who accompanied Kamaraj to the police station on 16 March to lodge the complaint against Chandranee.
Kamaraj is originally from Tamil Nadu. “He has been living in Bengaluru since he was 11 years old. For humanity’s sake Kannada organisations have supported him,” said Rajanna. He added that the ’cultural superiority’ displayed by the north Indian residents of Bengaluru cannot be condoned.
Source: Quint
