Days after interfaith cousins became victims of ‘moral policing’ in Belagavi city, another incident shocked Karnataka, where around six men barged into a hotel room and thrashed a couple for the ‘crime’ of being together despite practising different faiths.
The incident took place on January 7 at a lodge in Hanagal Taluk of Karnataka’s Haveri District. At least two people, who are from the minority community, have been arrested for ‘moral policing’.
The matter came to light after the victims approached the police and narrated their ordeal. Several videos of the assault, filmed by the attackers themselves, have also emerged on social media.
In one video, it could be seen that around six men, reportedly from a minority community, knocked on the door of a room. A man opened the door and the assailants barged in and headed straight to the woman, who tried to cover her face with a burqa.
The gang verbally abused the couple and filmed the woman while she tried to cover her face. They also physically assaulted the couple.
Police said all miscreants were locals and their affiliation with any organisation has not been found yet.
“Two arrests have been made and we are further identifying the accused. We will arrest three to four more people soon,” said Haveri Superintendent of Police (SP) Anshu Kumar.
As per the SP, initially, police were treating it as an assault case. However, based on the statements of the victims, police are also looking to add sections such as kidnapping, outraging the modesty of a woman, assaulting a woman, and attempting to murder.
In the other incident of ‘moral policing’ on Tuesday, seven men were arrested for beating up two cousins in Belagavi after mistaking them for an interfaith couple. In this case also, police said the attackers were from the minority community, and they continued to beat up the boy and the girl even after they said they were cousins.
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