Bengaluru, Jan 7
Reacting to the alleged assault on a BJP worker by the Karnataka police, the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women, Nagalakshmi Choudhary, said that the police officers arranged clothes for her and the BJP worker in question has many cases against her.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Wednesday she stated, “There is a complaint against the woman, and the police went to arrest her. She is facing multiple cases. When she was taken into the police vehicle, she stripped herself. She was accompanied by her mother and brother, and her brother recorded the video. If you observe the video, you can see that only women police officers are present.”
She further said, “The police arranged clothes for her, and she was later remanded to judicial custody. I have spoken to the Hubballi Deputy Commissioner of Police. We cannot comment without verifying the facts. If the police have committed any wrongdoing, we will recommend action. According to the police, the woman stripped herself and the video was later circulated.”
“I will write to the Superintendent of Police seeking a detailed report on the incident as the incident is of serious nature,” she said.
She added that making comments without knowing the roles of either the police or the victim would be incorrect. “I will seek a complete investigation, and those found guilty must be punished. The police have questioned why there is no video showing police stripping her. Police have also stated that there are multiple cases against her. According to the police, the woman loosened her clothes before boarding the police vehicle and later stripped inside the vehicle,” she said.
It can be recalled that an alleged assault and stripping of a BJP woman worker by police occurred in Hubballi city in Karnataka, reportedly in connection with a dispute arising from a voter revision exercise. A video of the incident surfaced on Wednesday, triggering shock and serious concern.
The video allegedly shows male police personnel assaulting the woman and using vulgar expletives.
The incident occurred within the limits of the Keshvapur police station in Hubballi. According to sources, BJP worker Sujatha Handi, also known as Vijayalaxmi Handi, was allegedly brutalised following a complaint lodged against her by Hubballi-Dharwad Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.
It is alleged that Sujatha Handi was targeted after she undertook voter mapping as part of the voter list revision process. Reportedly angered by this, the corporator allegedly lodged a complaint against her at the Keshvapur police station.
During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list, a dispute reportedly broke out when Sujatha Handi accompanied election officials during the process. Congress corporators and their supporters allegedly created a ruckus by citing an old case during the revision exercise.
Suvarna Kallakuntla, who filed the complaint against Sujatha Handi, alleged that she had brought SIR-BLO officials and got voters’ names deleted. Earlier, clashes had reportedly occurred between BJP and Congress workers over the same allegation.
