Amid the continued protests by various organisations over the murder of Neha Hiremath in her college campus in Hubballi and BJP’s efforts to up the ante against the government of Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah spoke to her father Niranjan Hiremath. During the phone call, the CM tried to console Neha’s father who is a municipal councillor of the Congress.
The phone call was facilitated by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil on April 23.
Mr. Patil visited the family in Hubballi on April 23. He tried to console the family members and briefed them about the steps taken so far by the government in connection with the crime. During the visit, Mr. Patil called the Chief Minister, who spoke to Niranjan Hiremath expressing pain over the incident. The CM promised to stand by the family in their time of grief.
Mr. Niranjan, in turn, expressed satisfaction with the government’s decisions to hand over the case to the CID and to set up a special court.
Special court to speed up delivery of justice
Later, speaking to mediapersons, H.K. Patil said that the special court had been set up to hear the case to speed up the delivery of justice. “A letter about the government’s order on setting up a special court had been sent to the High Court of Karnataka. We are taking every step to ensure stringent punishment to the accused,” he said.
He informed that the Chief Minister was unable to visit the family, but he had spoken to the victim’s father over phone. The Chief Minister had asked Niranjan Hiremath to be brave and promised that justice would be delivered soon.
Father apologises to CM
Subsequently, speaking to mediapersons, Niranjan Hiremath apologised to the State Government and the police for criticising them, which he attributed to his grief and due to the lack of adequate information. He said that the government was prompt to respond to the crime and had taken requisite steps.
Mr. Niranjan thanked the State Government for setting up a special court, the local MLA and party office-bearers for standing with the family in their time of distress.
“I have spoken against the government without proper information, and also against the Police Commissioner. I had spoken out of grief and will apologise to all the people concerned. I had expressed doubts over not conducting the inquiry in a proper manner, but it has turned out that the police have done their job properly. I apologise for my words, which was the result of misinformation,” he said.
He also demanded that justice be delivered at the earliest, and requisite protection to all girl students.
BJP State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra’s visits family
Later in the afternoon, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra visited Neha’s family and tried to console them. Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Mutalik also visited the family.
