Girl stabbed to death on campus: Victim's father slams Karnataka CM over remark, demands encounter of accused

Niranjanayya Hiremath, who is a Congress corporator at Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, said the girl had no ‘relationship’ with the accused Fayaz and this was a pre-planned murder.

Niranjanayya, father of Neha Hiremath (23), who was stabbed to death on her college campus in Hubballi on Thursday by her former classmate, hit back at CM Siddaramaiah over the latter's remark that the crime had taken place due to ‘personal reasons’.

Speaking to a section of media persons here on Friday, Hiremath, who is a Congress corporator at Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, said the girl had no ‘relationship’ with the accused Fayaz and this was a pre-planned murder. "The CM is tarnishing my family’s reputation through his statement," he said.

He urged the CM to be more sensitive while issuing such statements at a time when his family is going through an emotional turmoil.

Hiremath also demanded the accused Fayaz be encountered by the state. "this is the only way to give justice to my deceased daughter."

He also claimed that there are more people involved in the crime and they should be brought to justice. Hiremath believes the crime took place as his daughter refused to get into a relationship with the accused.

Demand for capital punishment

Cutting across party lines, there has been a growing demand for capital punishment or encounter of the accused.

ABVP’s call for college bandh in Hubballi on Friday evoked good response as majority of the college remained shut in the City.

The members of the right-wing, students' union demanded for instant justice through encounter.

Thousands of students staged a protest in front of BVB College by blocking Hubballi-Dharwad Road and BRTS corridor for about an hour.

Several other organisations including Karnataka Dalit Vimochana Samiti, Hindu Jagaran Vedike and others took out protest rallies in the City. Vedike claimed that this was clear case of ‘love jihad’ and the accused should be hanged immediately.

Condemning the incident, Dharwad District In-charge Minister Santosh Lad said that the accused of such crimes should be encountered. He called for bringing in an encounter law to prevent such cases in the future.

Hubballi Anjuman-e-Islam president and former minister A M Hindasgeri said that such accused should be encountered in public places.

Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik demanded the state government to order for the encounter of the accused and also to demolish the accused Fayaz’s house using bulldozer.