HUBBALI: A Muslim man has been arrested in Hubballi for allegedly stalking, threatening, and attempting to sexually assault a minor Hindu girl studying in SSLC. The accused, identified as Abbas, was taken into custody following a complaint filed by the girl’s parents.
The incident began when Abbas befriended the minor girl while she was commuting to school. He subsequently took her to a garden on multiple occasions. On June 22, he attempted to rape her near Revadihal Bridge, but she managed to escape.
On August 18, Abbas returned to the girl’s house and created havoc. He dragged the girl and threatened her parents, prompting them to file a complaint at the Kasabapet police station.
‘’ We have registered a case under BNS sections 363, 376, 511, IPC u/s 74, 329 (4), 351(3), and the POCSO Act against accused Abbas’’ Kasabapet police inspector Raghavendra told Organiser. He said the accused an auto driver took the girl to a secluded place in June last and attempted to molest her , however the girl managed to escape. Soon after filing complaint we have arrested accused produced before Hubli JMFC court and sent to judicial custody. We will provide security to the girl if needed ‘’ he added.
The girl’s parents expressed their concerns about the accused’s behaviour and the potential danger he posed to their daughter. They cited the case of Neha Hiremath, a young woman who was murdered in Hubli after rejecting a man’s advances, as a reason for their fears. ‘’We are freightened after accused threatened us that he would murder like Fayaz did the murder of Hindu girl Neha,” the parents informed. They urged the police to provide security to them.
The arrest of Abbas comes as a relief to the family and the community, but it also highlights the ongoing issue of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in Karnataka.
The murder of Neha Hiremath, a 23-year-old MCA student from Hubballi, Karnataka had shocked the entire state and triggered widespread protests , highlights alleged love jihad in the region. On April 18, 2024, Neha was brutally stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College by Fayaz a young man who had been pursuing her for some time. Neha had rejected Fayaz’s romantic advances, which allegedly motivated the murder.
Fayaz, who had known Neha for several years, attacked her in broad daylight in college premises , causing fatal injuries that led to her death shortly after. The incident occurred despite Neha’s prior complaints to local authorities about Fayaz’s harassment, highlighting a significant failure in the system’s ability to protect her.
The murder led to widespread outrage, particularly from Neha’s father, Niranjan Hiremath, who is a Congress corporator in the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. He has publicly criticized the state government, particularly Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, for not taking timely action to prevent such incidents. Neha’s father has called for stricter measures, including “shoot on sight” orders for the accused in similar cases, reflecting the community’s deep frustration with the lack of effective legal recourse.
The case also drew parallels with another tragic incident in Hubballi, where a young woman named Anjali Ambiger was murdered under similar circumstances. Both cases have underscored the urgent need for stronger protections for women in Karnataka and have fueled demands for police accountability and reform
