India: Karnataka men arrested for barging into hotel room to harass interfaith couple
The incident has put into spotlight the issue of moral policing prevailing in the state
Three Muslim youths were apprehended by police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Thursday (Jan 11) for forcibly entering a hotel room in Hangal and assaulting an interfaith couple. A total of seven men were involved in the incident and are also facing charges of rape with the Muslim woman.
The incident, captured on video, quickly went viral.
The video footage showed the assailants entering the hotel room, discovering a Muslim woman with a Hindu man, and subsequently physically attacking the couple.
The attackers questioned the couple's morality and forcibly removed them from the room, despite their pleas for assistance and requests to be allowed to leave.
Following the incident, the woman's family filed a complaint with the Hanagal police station.
In response, the Hanagal police arrested Aftab Maqbool Ahmed Chandankatti (24), Samaiullah Lalanavar (23), and Mohammed Isaaq Mandakki (23) based on the filed complaint.
Former Chief Minister reacts
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed concern over the incident and questioned the silence of current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Bommai cited reports to allege that the woman was subjected to further sexual assault by a group of men after the initial incident of moral policing.
Bommai wrote, "The assault on a couple in a lodge in Hangal of Haveri district by some miscreants in the name of moral policing is highly condemnable. The police must arrest all those who were involved in the moral policing and punish for their act. After manhandling the girl, she had been taken to the secluded place and reportedly sexually assaulted her. This incident of the moral policing by the miscreants has given the feeling whether the state government existed or not?"
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He then asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is a leader of the Congress party to clarify his stand on this issue. "Why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who talks a lot about moral policing, is silent on this particular incident. Is it because the miscreants belonged to the Minority community? Mr @siddaramaiah, clarify your stand on this incident," added Bommai.