Haveri: Police have apprehended two individuals and are pursuing others in connection with the moral policing incident that transpired on Jan 8.
As per sources, a male and a female from different communities were inside a lodge room on Jan 8. At around 1 pm, a group comprising 5-6 individuals forcibly entered the premises and thrashed the two.
The assailants left the male victim behind, while they forcibly took the woman to another location, where they continued their assault using wooden objects, hands, and kicks.
Prompted by a complaint filed on Wednesday, the Hanagal police have registered a case under IPC Section 354 (Assault of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 448 (r house-trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation. If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc,) along with 149.
Those arrested were identified as Aftab (the first accused) and Madarasab (the second accused), both hailing from Hanagal. However, several other suspects remain at large.
Two specialized teams, headed by CPI, Hanagal, Shridhar – one led by Hanagal PSI Yallappa Hingannanavar and another by Adur PSI Sampat Anikivi, have been formed to apprehend the suspects, Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar said.
Officials are also delving into the possibility of the accused being involved in previous instances of moral policing.
The victim, a resident of Uttara Kannada, has provided a statement to the police, leading to the inclusion of additional IPC Sections 363 (Kidnapping), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) in the complaint.
Issuing a stern warning, SP Anshu Kumar emphasized, "If anyone takes the law into their hands under the pretext of moral policing, engaging in an assault against individuals, stringent legal actions will be taken against them."
