Days after Congress leader Niranjan Hiremath’s daughter, Neha, was stabbed to death by her former classmate Fayaz for turning down his advances, Former Karnataka CM and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar paid a visit to their residence in Hubballii to express solidarity with the bereaved family. Earlier, the Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, Niranjan Hiremath had called out his party leaders for denying the Love Jihad angle in his daughter Neha’s murder.
#WATCH | Hubbali: Former Karnataka CM and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar visits the residence of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, Niranjan Hiremath. Hiremath's daughter was murdered in her college premises. pic.twitter.com/TPznSDWpCc
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2024
Following his meeting with the bereaved family, BJP leader and candidate from Belagavi, Jagadish Shettar raised questions on the crumbling Law and order situation in the state and demanded strict punishment against the accused.
He said, “It was an inhumane act. The way Fayaz murdered Neha, it was very inhumane. It is a condemnable act and I insist that the state government, Chief Minister and Home Minister conduct an impartial and speedy inquiry into the matter.”
Shettar added, “The culprits have to be punished…State Government has utterly failed to maintain law and order situation in Karnataka. It is affecting day-to-day public life in entire Karnataka. Parents are very apprehensive of sending their children to schools and colleges…When law & order is not good, entire State Government will collapse…Speedy investigation is needed…Action has to be taken.”
#WATCH | Hubballi murder incident: BJP leader & candidate from Belagavi, Jagadish Shettar says, "…It is very inhuman. I condemn this. The State Government has to investigate this impartially. The culprits have to be punished…State Government has utterly failed to maintain law… pic.twitter.com/1z8hohDZHn
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2024
Earlier in the day, activists of Akhila Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha condemned the brutal murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi. They held a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office and demanded capital punishment for Neha’s murderer. They also submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah through the Deputy Chief Minister.
Additionally, prominent Lingayat seers including Dingaleshwara Swami and others held a protest to demand Justice for Neha.
#WATCH | Hubballi, Karnataka: Lingayat seer Dingaleshwara Swami and other seers held a protest over the Hubballi murder incident. pic.twitter.com/zNRYc8nJ7I
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2024
Accused Fayaz’s mother demands ‘strict punishment’, claims no ‘Love Jihad’ angle
The mother of accused Fayaz who stabbed Congress Corporator’s daughter Neha to death inside their college campus in Hubballi, apologised to the victim’s family for her son’s act and demanded strict punishment for him.
The accused’s mother Mamtaz said, “I apologise to the people of Karnataka as well as Neha’s family for what my son has done. It is a great injustice to Neha and her family.”
“What my son has done is completely wrong and we hang our heads in shame. What he did is a big mistake and he should be given strict punishment as per the law of the land,” she added.
However, she alleged that there is no ‘Love Jihad’ angle in this murder case. Speaking to reporters in Dharwad, she claimed that her son and Neha were not just friends but that they were in love and wanted to marry.
Speaking with News18 Kannada, she further claimed that her son was under depression. She added, “Fayaz was under depression. He was sitting at home for one and a half years.”
'ಫಯಾಜ್ ಡಿಪ್ರೆಶನ್ ಒಳಗಾಗಿದ್ದ'
— News18 Kannada (@News18Kannada) April 20, 2024
'ಫಯಾಜ್ ಒಂದೂವರೆ ವರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂತಿದ್ದ'
'ಕೆಲಸ ಹುಡುಕ್ತಿನಿ ಅಂತ ಹೋಗಿ ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ'
Fayaz Mother speaks exclusively to #News18Kannada #Fayaz #NehaHiremath #JusticeForNeha #Hubballi pic.twitter.com/bAc6g8HDEO
Earlier, the victim’s father Niranjan Hiremath, in an emotional meltdown, asserted that her daughter had become prey to Love Jihad and pleaded with everyone not to taint the honour of his late daughter by making statements that she was in love with the accused Fayaz who brutally stabbed her to death for rejecting his proposal.
Now, Mumtaz, the mother of the accused, has alleged that there was no attempt at forced marital religious conversion. She has alleged that Neha and Fayaz “were in love”.
She alleged, “It was Neha who made the first move and took his phone number. My son did tell me about Neha and that he was in love with her and they wanted to get married. But I had suggested that he first focus on his career.”
She also claimed that last year she knew that they were in love with each other.
Earlier on Saturday, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had also alleged that there was “no love jihad” angle surrounding the murder of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath’s daughter.
Additionally, the Karnataka Home Minister had also claimed that it was a case of mutual love between the victim and the perpetrator. He recounted that when the girl decided to end the relationship and walk away, the accused resorted to violence. “I don’t see love jihad there,” Parameshwar stated firmly.
On Friday, a senior police officer said, “During interrogation, Fayaz claimed that the two of them had been in a relationship and that she had suddenly started avoiding him. It needs to be corroborated and verified, but he was arrested immediately.”
Hubballi murder case: Neha was stabbed to death on college premises by her jilted lover for turning down his advances
24-year-old student, Neha was stabbed to death on her college campus on Thursday (18th April). The incident took place at B V Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology in Hubbali, where Neha was studying in her first year of MCA. The attacker Fayaz was a BCA student of the same college and was a classmate of Neha. He is from Savadatti in Belagavi district.
As reported earlier, Fayaz was waiting for her to come out of the college and attacked her with a knife. He stabbed her in the neck multiple times with the knife, which was caught on CCTV camera. He was covering his face with a mask. After the stabbing which left Neha profusely bleeding, the assailant fled the scene with the weapon in his hand.
The police arrested Fayaz who was on the run after the murder, and further probe is underway. The police said that he was planning to kill Neha, as he told his friends that he would finish the girl who had rejected his offer. Given that he chose to stab her in the neck, confirmed that he intended to kill her.
Reacting to allegations that her daughter was in Love with the accused Fayaz and there was no Love Jihad angle, the Congress corporator asserted, “By making such statements, my daughter’s honour should not be tainted, because I know my daughter well. I am a Congress corporator, I am not from some other party. Our Home Minister has given such statements due to wrong information. I request the Home Minister to correct his statement. If you want to get votes by giving such statements, it is not right. I am a people’s representative, I am your party’s representative and I’m not from any other party. It has happened in my own house, so how can I protect other people?”
