Honnavar: The 'attack,' on a Hindu girl allegedly by two Muslim youth which had increased the communal tension in Honnavar on December 13 has now received an unexpected twist!
Police have found that the reason for the injury was not any 'attack.' It was in reality injury marks which the girl had inflicted on herself with thorns after she got scared due to sexually harassment by a man.
It was rumoured that on December 13, the high school girl was waylaid by two men who came on a bike to Magod Kudlagadde at Honnavar. They allegedly injured the girl's palms with a knife and escaped when they saw a vehicle approaching. The rumours also stated that the two persons were Muslims.
The police who were investigating the case, took the girl for counselling. The revealtion came as a shock even to the police. The girl stated that when she used to walk to her school situated about 8 kms from her house, one Ganesh Naik used to follow her for the past 5-6 months and harassed her by asking to come with him in his car or on his two wheeler. The girl was under shock due to this harassment.
When the girl was on her way to school last Friday, Naik appeared before her and threatened her again. The girl who was scared and told her mother who in turn said this to a gram panchayat member and a senior leader of the village. He had assured that he would summon Naik and warn him.
Meanwhile the girl did not go to school for about 4 days as Honnavar witnessed communal tension. She decided to go to school on Thursday and she came to know that there was a test on Thursday.
The girl left home on Thursday morning. However she was scared that Naik might sexually assault her and decided to commit suicide. She decided to hurt herself and took the thorns of a lemon plant and injured her palms. But soon she realised that it was a mistake and decided to go to school.
But as she was injured the girl asked her friend to bring a bandage. The shop owner saw the injury. Without asking her for the details, the shop owner is said to have claimed that he had seen two unidentified persons of whom one had a beard and alleged that the two were behind the injury.
Other villagers too belieived the theory. The girl who was already scared, then narrated the same story before the police.
The police who inquired and conducted a medical examination found that the injury was due to thorns, To confirm this the police held counselling and the girl narrated the real story. The narration has been registered before the court too.
The press statement by the superintendent of police stated that the police have registered a case under POCSO against Ganesh Naik. Naik is missing and the police are searching for him.
Meanwhile police have asked the public not to pay heed to rumors and stories that might harm the peace of the region.
Honnavar normal but shops remain shut
Though there were no fresh incidents of violence in Honnavar in uttara Kannada district, normalcy has not yet returned as the shops remained closed on Saturday and Sunday too.
Honnavar and Kumta have been tense since the beginning of this month. The situation worsened after the group clash on December 6 and the mysterious death of a teenager, Paresh Mesta. Family members had alleged that his death was a murder and saffron outfits have been claiming it to be a murder by 'Jehadis.' Protest by saffron outfits against this murder had turned violent in Kumta and Sirsi.
"Police officials are targeting Hindu organisations and innocent Hindus. Based on the directions of the Bhatkal and Kumta MLAs, police officials are booking cases and arresting Hindu youth in Honnavar and Kumta region who were not involved in any incidents. People are unhappy with this move by the authorities and so they have voluntarily decided to shut the shops till this tyranny ends," a BJP leader told Deccan Chronicle.
"Traders are unhappy with the police. The voluntary bandh is likely to continue for a few more days," he added.
