2013 rail blockade case: Farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar sent to judicial custody

HUBBALLI: Farmer leader and Karnataka Raitha Sangha Hasiru Sene state president Kodihalli Chandrashekhar was arrested by Hubballi railway police in connection with a 2013 case involving a rail blockade during a protest seeking implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project.

Chandrashekhar was taken into custody in Sirsi early Monday with the assistance of local police. He had arrived in the town to address a press conference at 10am and participate in a farmers’ protest scheduled at Dasanakoppa at 11.30am.

Police said the arrest was made based on a court warrant in connection with the 2013 case. Farmers had then blocked railway traffic for nearly six hours as part of their agitation demanding the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project.

Following his arrest, Chandrashekhar was taken to Hubballi and produced before a JMFC court. The court subsequently remanded him to 14 days’ judicial custody.

The arrest came ahead of the farmers’ protest planned in Sirsi, where the organisation had announced a fresh agitation. Police maintained that Chandrashekhar was arrested pursuant to the court’s warrant in the old rail blockade case.