Tension gripped Konchur Diggi Tanda near Laadalapur village in Chittapur taluk of Kalaburagi district after Ritesh, a class 5 student, drowned while swimming in a water pond near the railway track on Wednesday.

The incident triggered protests by residents who demanded compensation for the bereaved family.

Angered over the boy’s death, residents refused to allow the last rites to be conducted until the family was assured of adequate compensation.

Though officials told the protesters that suitable compensation will be provided and the funeral conducted peacefully, the agitating villagers remained unconvinced.

Refusing to yield to the appeals of the authorities, residents erected a tent near the village and staged a sit-in protest through the night, demanding justice for the family.

As the situation grew tense, the police, citing concerns over maintenance of law and order, took BJP leader Manikanth Rathod, who had been staying in the tanda in support of the protesters, into custody at 12.30 a.m. on Thursday.

Protesters attempted to stop the police vehicle by placing logs and stones on the road and engaged in heated arguments with police personnel.

However, the police shifted Mr. Rathod to Kalaburagi and produced him before a court, following which he was remanded in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the boy’s body was sent to the Wadi Community Health Centre for post-mortem examination early on Thursday.