The Karnataka Social Welfare Department has sanctioned ₹13.91 lakh for Anish Kumar, a 32-year-old Dalit man who lost his left hand in a caste-based attack last year, to cover the cost of a prosthetic limb.
An order dated March 28, 2025, cites the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, which mandate compensation for victims of caste violence. The Social Welfare Department approved the amount as a “special case,” given the severity of the assault.
On July 21, 2024, Anish Kumar, a Dalit man from the Adi Karnataka (SC) community, was brutally attacked by seven men from the Vokkaliga community while walking with his uncle. The assailants first hurled casteist slurs before storming Anish’s home, assaulting his family, and severing his forearm.
Anish was rushed to St. John’s Hospital in Bengaluru, while his family received treatment at Kanakapura Government Hospital.
An FIR was registered under multiple sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of attempt to murder, rioting, and criminal intimidation. So far, four of the accused have been arrested.
Initially, the Social Welfare Department sanctioned ₹12 lakh as victim compensation. However, after determining the cost of a prosthetic limb at ₹13,91,670, the government approved additional funds, which were allocated from the Central Sector Scheme.
