India's Belagavi assault case: Woman paraded naked as son elopes with girl disrupting her engagement

In a shocking incident in Vantamuri village,Belagavi districtin the state of Karnataka in south India, a woman fell victim to a brutal assault on December 11, when she was brutally thrashed, tiedto an electricity pole, and paradedpartially stripped. The attack was allegedly orchestrated as retribution after her son eloped with a girl from the village on the day of her engagement, disrupting thescheduled rituals.

The tumultuous events began on the night of December 10 when the young couple, 24-year-old Ashok and 18-year-old Priyanka, vanished, prompting concerned relatives to storm the boy's house. In a fit of rage, they ransacked the premises and subjected the boy's mother to a vicious beating.

The woman was subsequently tied to an electricity pole in front of her house, partially stripped and paraded around.

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Local authorities were alerted by a vigilant villager, leading officers from the Kakati police station to intervene promptly.

The police successfully rescued the victim and arrested eight individuals. The accused include Gangavva, Sangeeta, and Kempanna. In the aftermath of the brutal crime, a case has now been registered against the accused people. The police authorities are still looking for eight more individuals for their involvement in the case.

Victim in hospital

Expressing deep concern over the incident, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Lakshmi Hebbalkar visited the victim, currently in the district hospital.

The distressing scene at the hospital saw the victim's relatives falling at the minister's feet, beseeching justice for the traumatised woman.

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The victim's husband, Lagamanna, a truck driver who was away on duty when she was attacked, emphasised the need for stringent punishment for the accused.

Seeking justice, he stated, "The trial should be conducted in a fair manner, and the accused should get a life sentence."

Lagamanna said he was not aware of his son's relationship with the girl, asserting that had they known, they would have attempted to resolve the matter amicably.

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Home Minister G. Parameshwara has directed the Belagavi police commissioner to take severe action against the perpetrators. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah voiced his condemnation on social media, vowing justice for the victim and her family.

Union minister hits at Congress govt in Karnataka

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the Congress government in Karnataka, citing the incident as another instance of atrocities against the downtrodden.

She took to Xsocial media platform, stating, there is no justice "for the SCs and STs. The recent incident in Belgavi, Karnataka falls in the same category as those repeated atrocities against the Dalits seen till recently in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. For Congress, the downtrodden are just a vote bank."

Karnataka High Court chastised state police and state government for failing to avoid the tragedy. It also directed the state government to submit an additional status report on whether proper counseling was provided to the victim, and the reason why other accused people have not yet been nabbed.

(With inputs from agencies)