Neha Hiremath, a first-year Master of Computer Applications student at KLE Technological University in Hubballi and the daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress Councillor from Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, was murdered earlier this month on her college campus. The suspect, identified as Fayaz, a 23-year-old former classmate and college dropout, allegedly committed the crime because Neha refused to convert religions, according to her father.
Niranjan Hiremath stated that his daughter was targeted for rejecting religious conversion, leading to her brutal murder. This incident has sparked widespread controversy, with allegations of “love jihad” though the Congress-led state government attributes the motive to “personal reasons”. Fayaz’s mother claimed her son was depressed and infatuated with Neha.
Amid the political storm, BJP national president JP Nadda visited the Hiremath family, suggesting that the case should be transferred to the CBI if the state police cannot conduct a fair investigation. He criticized the state government’s handling of the situation, accusing it of engaging in appeasement politics.
In contrast, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara accused the BJP of politicizing the incident and assured that justice would be served regardless of the accused’s religion. He highlighted that the police had swiftly arrested the suspect within an hour of the crime. Despite calls for a CBI investigation, he noted that the state CID would handle the probe, as the accused was already in custody.
The case continues to attract attention with senior BJP leaders questioning the state’s commitment to a fair investigation and pushing for a CBI inquiry to ensure transparency and justice.
