In the vibrant city of Bengaluru, Karnataka, the recent sensational occurrence of the slaying of the daughter of a Congress corporator on the premises of a college in Hubbali has spiraled into a political altercation, particularly in the wake of the statements made by the State’s Home Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwara, on Friday.
Neha Hiremath, a 23-year-old, the daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, a Council member of the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation, was ruthlessly assaulted by her former schoolmate, Fayaz Khondunaik, on the campus of BV Bhoomaraddi College in Hubballi on Thursday (April 18).
A student in her first year pursuing a Master’s in Computer Applications (MCA), Neha faced repeated stabbings from Fayaz, a resident of Savadatti in the Belagavi district. A purported video of the incident depicts him initially forcing the victim to the ground before unleashing a vicious attack with a sharp implement.
Apologies from the Home Minister; Demonstrations Erupt
The following day, the state’s home minister, during a conversation with the press in Tumakuru, suggested that the two individuals were “engaged romantically” and the alleged perpetrator might have committed the heinous act upon learning of Neha’s plans to wed another individual. The Home Minister asserted that the tragic event unfolded subsequent to the victim’s attempt to terminate the relationship with the accused.
This declaration was met with widespread condemnation, given that the victim’s father had clarified that Fayaz had been subjecting his daughter to harassment over an extended period, despite her steadfast refusal to engage in a romantic relationship. On Saturday, the home minister, addressing reporters near his abode in Sadashivnagar, extended his apologies to the bereaved family.
“‘I regret if Neha’s parents are aggrieved by my comments,” he expressed. The minister decried the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicizing the situation. “We bear a profound responsibility. The inquiry is ongoing,” he maintained. Fayaz was subsequently apprehended, with law enforcement presenting him before a magistrate on Friday, who then remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.
Disapproving of the minister’s pronouncement, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the BJP’s student faction, staged a demonstration outside his official residence on Saturday, demanding justice for the bereaved family of the deceased girl. Demonstrations also unfolded across Karnataka, with citizens advocating for the imposition of capital punishment on the accused.
Demand for Justice from the Accused’s Parents
Mumtaz, the mother of the accused, Fayaz, has expressed remorse for her son’s transgressions and urged for him to be held accountable under the law. “I extend my apologies to the populace of Karnataka and Neha’s parents for my son’s misdeed. I share the anguish felt by Neha’s parents. My son’s actions were indefensible. He should be penalized according to the law for his offense,” Mumtaz asserted.
On Friday, Fayaz’s father, Baba Saheb Subani, also demanded that his son face punishment “of a magnitude that dissuades any individual from contemplating the harassment of a woman.”
