NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the Karnataka government over the Belagavi incident, wherein a tribal woman was stripped and paraded naked, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma has said that the state government should have taken strict action in such an incident. Seven accused have been arrested in the case.
The NCW chairperson accused the Karnataka government of not paying any attention to the horrific incident wherein a 42-year-old woman in the southern state was disrobed, assaulted and paraded after her son eloped with another woman.
“The Karnataka government did not pay any attention to the case and the police did not take any action. The woman was disrobed, tied to an electric pole and beaten. This is very inhuman and I feel that the Karnataka police should have taken strict action against those committing cruel atrocities and arrested them immediately. However, they were sleeping and did not take timely action”, the NCW chairperson said.
Rekha Sharma has directed a team, led by member Delina Khongdup from the Commission, to inquire about action taken in the case and submit their findings promptly. Furthermore, the Commission has requested the Director-General of Police (DGP) to furnish an action taken report by December 17.
Taking note of this, she said, “A team of NCW is going to meet the victim and investigate the issue. After observing her wellbeing, they will ask her if she received any help. The Karnataka government didn’t pay any attention to it. The police have taken no action…It (the incident) was very inhuman. The Karnataka government should have taken strict action in such an incident and arrest should’ve been made immediately…Now, I think due to the pressure of the High Court, they have made a move, but our team is going to investigate the support provided to the victim”.
Meanwhile, BJP chief J P Nadda has constituted a five-member fact-finding committee in a bid to further investigate the matter. The committee, comprising prominent BJP MPs Aprajita Sarangi, Sunita Duggal, Locket Chatterjee, Ranjeeta Koli, and Asha Lakra, will visit the incident site and submit a report to the party chief as earliest as possible.
Karnataka BJP MPs also held a protest in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament in the national capital against the state government on Friday. (ANI)