Hubballi police firing that claimed life of accused ‘not failure of law and order’: Chief Whip

HUBBALLI: The Karnataka government’s Chief Whip, Saleem Ahmed, stated that the police firing in Hubballi, which resulted in the death of an accused in a POCSO and murder case, was carried out in self-defence after the man tried to assault a woman police officer.

Clarifying that there was no lapse in law and order, Ahmed said the police handled the situation efficiently. “The commissioner has given me information that the accused tried to hit the lady inspector, and in self-defence, she had to fire at him. It is not a failure of law and order. Our police are competent enough to take action, so have they”, he said.

Hubballi Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said, “In Vijayanagara area under Ashoknagar police station of Hubballi-Dharwad, there was an incident where a 4- to 5-year-old girl’s body was found in an abandoned shed. The accused was traced and confessed to having committed the offence. On the basis of the complaint from the parents of the deceased girl, a case of murder and POCSO was registered”.

#WATCH | Hubballi-Dharwad, Karnataka: On an encounter between police and an accused in a POCSO case, Hubballi Police Commissioner N Shashikumar says, “Today morning in Vijayanagara area under Ashoknagar police station of Hubballi-Dharwad, there was an incident where 4 to… pic.twitter.com/f8tKigWWET

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2025

He further gave details about the incidents that happened during the interrogation. “The accused was identified as Ritesh Kumar, 35 years old, a native of Patna, Bihar. He tried to assault the police and ran away from police custody. In the process, he damaged the police vehicle and pelted stones at police staff. One of our PSIs opened fire in the air to prevent the accused from escaping. She also fired two rounds at the accused, injuring him in his leg and chest. He was brought to KMC (Karnataka Medical Council) for medical treatment, but he was declared dead”.

Earlier, a massive protest was held for a whole day at various places in Hubballi by various organisations. (ANI)