An MCA student identified as Neha Hiremath, aged 24 and daughter of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath, was brutally murdered at the BVB Campus in broad daylight on Thursday. The tragic event unfolded when a fellow student named Fayaz, reportedly from the same college, allegedly stabbed Neha twice in the neck, leading to her death.
Eyewitnesses described it as a harrowing scene. The assailant reportedly fled after the attack, but was swiftly arrested by the concerned staff and students who promptly handed him over to the Vidyanagar police. Fayaz was a BCA student in the same college and hailed from Saundatti in Belagavi district. The latter was reportedly known to have been pressuring Neha into a relationship, which she had been repeatedly rejecting.
According to statements made by Neha’s father, Niranjan Hiremath, Fayaz had persistently pursued Neha despite her clear disinterest in him due to their different castes and her personal wishes. “He was an old student, and he had proposed to my daughter, but she rejected his proposal,” Niranjan Hiremath stated while talking to India Today. “She did not like him, and she usually stayed away from all this… She refused his proposal, saying they both belonged to different castes and that she did not wish to have any relationship with him. Out of anger, he stabbed my daughter.”
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The tragic incident has reportedly triggered a heated debate amongst some political figures as they speculate on the motive behind the murder. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi of the BJP allegedly raised concerns of ‘love jihad,’ suggesting religious and ideological tensions as contributing factors to the girl’s reported murder. However, Karnataka’s State Home Minister G Parameshwara dismissed these claims, asserting that Neha and Fayaz had been in a mutual relationship that turned sour.
The incident has provoked widespread outrage and demands for justice, with the ABVP (BJP’s student wing) leading demonstrations and calls for a college bandh in Hubballi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took the opportunity to assure the people that a thorough investigation would be done in the case. He further emphasized the need for swift and stringent action against the perpetrator.
Additionally, amidst the escalating political rhetoric, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar criticized the BJP’s stance, accusing them of fearmongering and exploiting the tragedy for political gain.
