On Friday, May 3, police in Hubballi, Karnataka, arrested a 19-year-old named Saddam Hussein on charges of repeatedly raping a minor girl over several months, resulting in her pregnancy. The alleged rape took place between January 1 and May 3 of this year. The accused and the 17-year-old survivor were acquainted through school. Additionally, the police stated that the accused had subjected the survivor to verbal abuse, casteist slurs, and threats.
As per the Police Commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad, Renuka Sukumar, during the process of bringing the accused, Saddam Hussein, to the police station for formal arrest procedures, he attacked two police personnel. Sukumar further stated that in self-defence, the police fired shots, resulting in an injury to the left leg of the accused. Currently, he is receiving treatment at the hospital.
According to the Police Commissioner, the incident was discovered on May 3. The victim’s family had taken her to the hospital due to abdominal pain, where the hospital management informed them of her pregnancy. Following legal protocol, the hospital staff also notified the police as it constituted a medico-legal case.
According to accounts, the hospital administration notified the police right away after learning of a girl’s pregnancy. The mother of the victim then filed a complaint.
Additionally, it is claimed that the mother was threatened with dire consequences by the accused Saddam Hussein if she brought a complaint against him. He further insulted the victim with casteist remarks. The alleged rapist and the victim had been classmates, and he had sexually assaulted the victim for more than four months, during which she became pregnant.
The mother of the victim, according to the police, said in her complaint that her daughter knew the accused and that she was coerced into having a sexual relationship with him.
The victim’s mother said, “The accused forced my daughter to have a physical relationship and impregnated her.”
“Even before this, he has forced himself on me several times. I did not tell anyone in my family about it because he threatened to kill me if I did,” the complaint noted
Additionally, police stated that because the victim was a minor, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case had been filed. Additionally, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had also been added.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), called it a case of “love jihad” and organised a protest outside APMC Navanagar Police Station on Friday, May 3, seeking justice for the girl.
Saturday, May 4, saw the BJP launch a fierce protest against the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah, asserting that “there is no safeguard for Hindu young women and girls in Hubballi.”
Expressing their stance on the X platform, the party conveyed, “Hindu young women are currently suffering due to the consequences of empowering terrorists, rapists, and fanatic Jihadists termed as brothers by @INCKarnataka, reminiscent of the Kerala files.”
The post referred to the recent tragic murder case involving Neha, the 23-year-old daughter of Congress Councillor Niranjan Hiremath, who was fatally stabbed on her college campus in Hubballi. The saffron party criticized the state government’s handling of the investigation, which is under the purview of the State’s Criminal Investigation Department.
