No question of sparing anyone in gangrape case: CM Siddaramaiah

PTI, Jan 15, 2024, 5:02 PM IST

Source: PTI / File

Haveri (Karnataka), Jan 15 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said there was no question of sparing anyone involved in the gangrape of a Muslim woman allegedly by six youths from the same community.

Six people allegedly barged into a hotel room and assaulted an inter-faith couple during their stay in Hanagal Taluk of Haveri district on January 8, following which two of them have been arrested.

The BJP has accused that attempts are being made to hush up the case.

“We have arrested all the accused persons. Investigation is going on. We will not allow anyone to take law into their hands irrespective of the faith and caste they belong to,” the Chief Minister told reporters here.

Stating that nobody will be allowed to law into their hands, Siddaramaiah said the government will take action as per law. There is no question of sparing anyone, he added.

On the question of no one from the government having consoled her or offered any relief, the Chief Minister said he received the application just now and government will consider her plea.

Regarding the BJP’s demand for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Siddaramaiah explained that those investigating the case now are police and those who will be part of the SIT will be police only.

“Investigations are going on. Let the preliminary investigation report come out. Just because former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has demanded an SIT probe we will not form it,” the Chief Minister said.

He also said there is no question of covering up the case.

“Those who perpetrated the crime will face stringent action,” Siddaramaiah said.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old survivor alleged that no protection was given to her when she was taken home. She also said that at least two accused whose photographs police showed her were not involved in the crime.

The survivor also charged that the police were not investigating the case seriously.

According to the survivor, the incident happened on January 8. At 1 pm, she checked into the hotel room with a KSRTC driver aged 40, with whom she has been in a relationship for the past three years, they said.

The entire assault which happened inside the hotel room was filmed by the gang. The videos later became viral after they got circulated on social media platforms, police said.

In one of the purported videos, six men could be seen knocking on the door of a room. When a man opens the door, the assailants could be seen barging in and heading towards the woman.

The gang verbally abused the couple, assaulted them and filmed the woman while she tried to cover her face with a burqa.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday charged that attempts have been made to hush up the moral policing incident in Haveri by offering money to the victim.