Bengaluru, March 24 -- A suo moto case has been registered against former minister and Mogaveera BJP leader Pramod Madhwaraj by the police on Saturday for allegedly making a controversial speech during a protest at the Malpe fishing harbour. The protest was held in response to the arrest of five fishermen accused of assaulting a Dalit woman over allegations of theft.

The case was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and BNS 130 (Assault) against five fishermen on March 19, a day after a 43-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly tied up and assaulted on charges of stealing fish. The five arrested fishermen were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Addressing the protest on Saturday, Madhwaraj reportedly justified ...