Published Aug 27, 2024 | 5:05 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2024 | 5:05 PM
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An attempt to communalise a heinous crime against a woman in Karnataka’s coastal region of Karkala has ended in a twist with the police arresting a BJP party supporter in connection with the case.
The Karnataka police have launched a probe into the alleged drugging and subsequent rape of a 21-year-old woman in Karkala in the Udupi district on 24 August. An FIR has been registered based on the complaint of the victim’s mother before Karkala Town Police Station.
Police have arrested three people — Althad, Richard Cardoza and Abhay — in connection with the rape case. All three are residents of Karkala. While the BJP deemed it an instance of “entrapment for religious conversion” referring to the religion of the accused – Althad, police have also arrested Abhay whose social media pages show his association with BJP and Bajrang Dal – both Sangh parivar entities.
All accused will be produced before the magistrate on Tuesday, 27 August.
The police have also booked the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“Three accused have been arrested so far. All of them have also been booked under the NDPS Act. Prima facie, Altaf had physically assaulted the woman,” police sources said.
“Abhay is said to be the one who supplied drugs to the other two accused during the crime. An investigation is being carried out in all angles,” claimed police.
According to the Udupi Superintendent of Police, Arun K, the woman and Althaf had been friends on Instagram for the last three months and both belonged to the same town (Karkala). On 23 August, Althaf had come to the woman’s workplace and allegedly kidnapped her in a car.
After some time, another accomplice of Althaf, identified as Xavier Richard Cardoza, joined them. Althaf had some liquor bottles and forced the woman to drink.
According to a complaint lodged by the woman and her family, Althaf had laced the drink and forced her to drink it. He later allegedly raped her and dropped her back at her house.
It may be noted that before the arrest of Abhay, the BJP and right-wing outfits had termed it as ‘love jihad’ and staged a protest against a community.
Earlier, replying to the queries of reporters in New Delhi, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “There are attempts by the BJP to paint the incident and give it a love jihad touch, but crime is a crime and the government will go to the bottom of it all to unearth the truth and bring the accused to the book, the police in Udupi district have already arrested two main accused and I have told the police to speed up the investigation.”
MP of Dakshina Kannada Capt. Brijesh Chowta observed that the Congress government in the state has lost control over criminal elements in minority communities and has no spine to tackle them.
Chowta alleged that this was not an incident that revolved around a rape, it was a “premeditated crime” involving ideology laced with drugs and evil intentions.
“I have raised my voice against the menace of drugs on the coastal region of the state, I am afraid that this dangerous combination will bring more social misery in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district where criminal elements with religious radicalism are taking centre-stage,” he further alleged.
Opposition leader in the State Legislature R Ashoka alleged, “In a few more days the case will be closed and the accused will be released by the government by arm-twisting the police and tacitly helping the circles around the accused Althaf to destroy evidence.”
“I am in constant touch with the party leaders in Udupi and Karkala and I am going to raise this in the appropriate platform,” he had said.
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