As you are aware, attacks of this kind on Dalit communities in India are frequent and those responsible are seldom prosecuted. The incident took place in the early morning hours of July 16, 1998. To our knowledge, no one has yet been arrested in connection with the massacre. According to a report prepared by a local human rights organization that visited the site on July 20, there were rivalries between the PWG and another leftist organization to which Mr. Sivaiah belonged, which may have provided the motive for the murder. Madriga community are believed to be sympathetic to the PWG, the murder apparently provided the high caste landlord community a pretext for attacking the Madriga colony in the village.
Some reports estimate the number killed to be thirty or more.
At least 100 houses were burned to the ground. Most of those killed were Madrigas, although some also belonged to the Dalit Mala community and some to a another low caste community known as the Backward caste. Local police did not appear on the scene for more than ten hours. As all of the Madriga families had fled out of fear, the police reportedly spoke only with members of the landlord community. The police have filed some forty cases against Madrigas suspected in the killing of Mr. Sivaiah.