A woman was allegedly assaulted before being tied to a pole and partially stripped in Vantamuri village in Belagavi district of Karnataka on December 11, after her son eloped with a girl he was in love with.
The girl’s engagement was scheduled on December 11. But she eloped with a boy from the same village on the night of December 10. The boy and girl belong to the same community.
When relatives realised that the girl had disappeared, they rushed to the boy’s house, ransacked it and beat up his mother. She was tied to a pole in front of her house and partially stripped.
One of the villagers informed the police who rushed to the village and rescued the woman.
Officers from the Kakati police station have arrested Gangavva, Sangeeta and Kempanna and three others.
A case has been registered.
Minister for Women and Child Welfare Lakshmi Hebbalkar called on the woman, who is recuperating in the district hospital. When the Minister entered the hospital, the victim’s relatives fell at her feet and started crying uncontrollably.
They told the Minister that the victim was alone at the time of the attack. Her husband, Lagamanna, a truck driver, was away on duty.
Lagamanna said, “I was in Pune when I got a call about the attack. I rushed back. We are seeking justice. We have told the Minister that all the accused should be punished. We also want the boy and girl to get protection. Some of the accused are repeat offenders. They are facing the charge of murdering a gram panchayat member. They were on bail when they attacked my wife. The government should ensure that they do not get bail. The trial should be conducted in a fair manner and the accused should get life sentence.”
He claimed that neither he nor his wife knew about the relationship between their son and the girl. “If we knew about, we would have resolved the issue,” he said.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara has instructed the Belagavi police commissioner to take strict action against the accused. In a social media post, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his anguish. ”This is an inhuman act. Our government will not tolerate such insults to women. Belagavi police have already taken strict action and have arrested some of the accused. We will ensure that the victim and her family get justice,” he said.
