Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced Y-category security to the three judges of Karnataka High Court who gave the verdict on the Hijab controversy including Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi. This came after Chief Justice Awasthi was targeted with a death threat over a Whatsapp video which was received by advocate Umapathi S.
We’ve decided to give ‘Y’ category security to all three judges who gave the Hijab verdict. I have instructed DG and IG to probe the complaint filed in Vidhanasoudha PS thoroughly in which some people gave life threats to the judges: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/cQxFyfcfOL
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2022
On Sunday, while talking to the press, CM Bommai announced giving security to the judges to ensure their safety after the Hijab verdict. He asserted, “We’ve decided to give ‘Y’ category security to all three judges who gave the Hijab verdict. I have instructed DG and IG to probe the complaint filed in Vidhanasoudha PS thoroughly in which some people gave life threats to the judges.”
Last week, advocate Umapathi S. had received a video on her WhatsApp number purportedly using vulgar language and threatening to kill Chief Justice Awasthi after the bench announced the Hijab verdict. Referring to a murder of Jharkhand judge who was killed while he was on his morning walk, the accused in the video further stated that he knew where the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice goes for a walk in the morning. Soon, the clip went viral on social media.
Here is the video with death threat .. pic.twitter.com/DtOgFpcakZ
— Vikram Betaal (@ItsSajiv) March 19, 2022
Soon, Advocate Sudha Katwa filed a complaint with Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha Police. After a brief investigation, the police arrested two people belonging to the Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat (TNTJ) from Tamil Nadu on Saturday evening. The Police took custody of Kovai Rahamathulla from Tirunelveli and S. Jamal Mohammad Usmani from Thanjavur and the duo has been arrested after many complaints were filed against the accused in Karnataka and in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
Open discontent and threats have been are being given by Islamist groups after the Karnataka High Court pronounced its verdict on the Hijab issue. On March 15, the Karnataka HC upheld the state government order asserting rights to colleges over deciding uniform codes for students which meant a ban on the wearing of Hijabs and Burquas inside some college campuses. The three-member bench observed that while Hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam, the requirement of uniform is a reasonable restriction on the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Article 19 (1)(a).
