On August 30, a group of apparently drunken young men assaulted prominent wildlife campaigner DV Girish in Shantaveri, a village in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district. A First Information Report (FIR) had already reportedly filed at the Chikkamagaluru rural police station under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with assault and criminal intimidation (IPC). As per the FIR, one of the miscreants, Aruna, has been named as the main suspect.
Girish was driving a vehicle from an estate near Kemmangundi to Shantaveri with his pals and a friend's daughter. The eight young males were apparently consuming alcohol as they approached Shantaveri and screamed obscenities at the female travelling with the activist and his pals, which irritated them. The activist and his friend reprimanded the young guys and drove away.
Following the jeep on their two-wheelers, the suspects allegedly intimidated the activist and his friend. The perpetrators also took his buddies out of the vehicle and attacked them. Girish could be seen departing from the vehicle and addressing the offenders in a video of the incident. The accused is also seen attacking the activist and his companions. Local residents intervened to stop the brawl from getting worse.
Residents in the area identified the activist and tried to intervene. Girish and his friends were sent to the district hospital for treatment after suffering minor injuries. The accused came from neighbouring areas, according to Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Akshay MH, and they are currently on the run.
While a case was filed often against eight people under sections 12 (Acting with sexual intent) and 18 (Attempt to commit an offence) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, in addition to parts of the IPC.
Meanwhile, Girish is the convener of the non-governmental organisation Wild Cat-C, which was vital in the protection of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve. He has also received the renowned RBS'Protect the Tiger' award.