Demanding a probe by the Special Investigation Team into the case of moral policing and gang rape at Hangal in Haveri district, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly R. Ashok and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai led a huge protest by BJP in Haveri on Saturday and courted arrest.
Addressing the protesters before the office of the Superintendent of Police in Haveri, Mr. Bommai alleged that ‘jungle raj’ had come up in the State with ‘Taliban’ forces raising their heads.
Mr. Bommai accused the Hangal police of trying to cover up the case. “The police registered a case four days after the gang rape happened, which shows that they are hand-in-glove with the accused. The police have become puppets of the ruling party and joined hands with goondas. There is no fear of law in Haveri district,” he alleged.
He said that when he called the Superintendent of Police on the Hangal, initially, he had said that there was no rape but subsequently when the victim issued a statement before the magistrate, a case was filed. Mr. Bommai sought to know whether there was any political pressure not to register the case and alleged that police stations had become settlement centres and this case too would be buried.
The former CM alleged that a medical check-up of the victim had not been done and she was shifted to prevent embarrassment to the CM. He demanded that government should provide treatment to the victim and not any legislator or leader.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok said that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had termed Muslims his brothers and sisters and now that a Muslim woman had been raped, why was she not being given justice?
Mr. Ashok also alleged that every effort was being made to cover up the case and after Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came into power, communal forces and goondas were dictating terms.
He alleged that in Belagavi case too similar efforts were made to cover up the incident and in Haveri too the same happened. Mr. Ashok said that he had information that people with links with PFI were involved in the Hangal gang rape case and handing over the case to SIT was crucial to bring out the whole truth.
Mr. Ashok accused the State government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as being in a slumber and said it had no moral right to continue in power as such heinous crimes had continued in the state.
Court arrest
Later the Mr. Ashok, Mr. Bommai along with former Minister B.C. Patil and other BJP leaders courted arrest trying to lay seize to the SP office. They were subsequently released.
