An FIR was registered against nine people at the Keshwapur police station in Hubballi on Thursday in connection with the alleged stripping and assault of a BJP woman party worker.
The incident came to light after a purported video surfaced on social media on Wednesday and raised concerns.
Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi will address the media in Bengaluru later in the day regarding the issue. Hubballi is a major city within the Dharwad Lok Sabha seat represented by Joshi. The Karnataka BJP has already demanded the immediate suspension of officials who allegedly stripped and assaulted a BJP woman worker in Hubballi.
According to police, the case has been filed against Hubballi–Dharwad Municipal Corporation Congress member Suvarna Kalakuntla and seven others, with police booking them for serious charges, including attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and rioting.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by Mariadas, brother of the victim, BJP activist Sujatha Handi, regarding an incident that allegedly took place on January 2 at Chalukya Nagar in Hubballi. The accused have been booked under Sections 109, 115(2), 118(1), 189(2), 191(2), 74, 190 and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The police action followed after BJP workers staged a protest demanding action against Congress corporator Suvarna Kalakuntla. The protest was led by former BJP MLA Seema Masuti, Mayor Jyoti Patil and Deputy Mayor Santosh Chauhan.
Meanwhile, police sources said the incident is believed to have stemmed from an old personal rivalry between two families. BJP activist Sujatha Handi and Congress corporator Suvarna Kalakuntla have reportedly been involved in repeated disputes over minor issues for the past few years, allegedly due to a contest for influence in the locality.
Sujatha Handi was earlier associated with Suvarna Kalakuntla but joined the BJP two years ago, after which the rivalry is said to have intensified. What began as a personal dispute has now taken a political turn, culminating in the recent incident and the subsequent registration of the FIR, sources said.
It can be recalled that an alleged assault and stripping of a BJP woman worker by police occurred in Hubballi city in Karnataka, reportedly in connection with a dispute arising from a voter revision exercise. A video of the incident surfaced on Wednesday, triggering shock and serious concern.
The video allegedly shows male police personnel assaulting the woman and using vulgar expletives.
The incident occurred within the limits of the Keshvapur police station in Hubballi. According to sources, BJP worker Sujatha Handi, also known as Vijayalaxmi Handi, was allegedly brutalised following a complaint lodged against her by Hubballi-Dharwad Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.
It is alleged that Sujatha Handi was targeted after she undertook voter mapping as part of the voter list revision process. Reportedly angered by this, the Congress corporator allegedly lodged a complaint against her at the Keshvapur police station.
The Karnataka Police had rejected a female BJP worker’s claims that she was assaulted and stripped by cops during a dispute related to the voter revision exercise in Hubballi.
Responding to the assault and stripping of a BJP worker by male and female police personnel, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar rejected the allegations, stating that she “had stripped herself”.
Meanwhile, the State Women’s Commission, reacting to the development, said that the roles of both the victim and the police must be examined before any comments are made on the case.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Keshvapur police station in Hubballi, Police Commissioner Shashikumar said, “She assaulted four of our women staffers and bit one woman officer on her abdomen. I do not know who recorded the video. We will consider all aspects in a comprehensive investigation.”
The Karnataka BJP has demanded the immediate suspension of officials who allegedly stripped and assaulted the woman.
State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said a shocking incident had taken place in Hubballi, where a BJP woman worker belonging to the Dalit community was allegedly stripped and assaulted.
“If law and order still exist in the state and if the Home Minister has any authority, he must immediately suspend the concerned officials,” Vijayendra demanded.
He said action must be taken against all officials who, acting at the behest of Congress leaders, allegedly assaulted and stripped the Dalit woman, who is also a BJP worker.
