Neha Hiremath murder: Father alleges tardy police probe, seeks CBI inquiry

Karnataka Congress councillor Niranjan Hiremath has hit out at his own party for what he claimed to be tardy investigation into his daughter Neha Hiremath’s murder and has sought a CBI probe into it.

Hiremath, a councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, has claimed that despite his naming eight persons he believes to have been involved in the murder, none has been arrested yet.

Neha’s former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik has been arrested for allegedly stabbing her to death on the campus of BVB College in Hubballi on April 18. Neha (23) was a Masters of Computer Applications student at the college.

State orders CID probe

However, on Monday (April 22) morning, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the case would be handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a special court set up for speedy disposal of the case.

“I strongly condemn Neha’s murder,” Siddaramaiah added.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said the CID will submit its report in 12 days. “The CID team will go to Hubballi today (Monday) and take over the case from the district police,” the minister said. He added that some people have suspected the involvement of more people.

Father demands CBI investigation 

Hiremath, on the other hand, told news agency ANI he was losing faith in the investigation. He claimed he had “given the names of eight people openly” but not one had been arrested. “I am losing faith now. They are trying to divert my case. Give it to CBI if you are not able to handle it,” he said.

Hiremath claimed Fayaz was accompanied by four other members of his community, according to an India Today report. He has also alleged that Neha’s murder was a fallout of “love jihad”, a term used by the Hindu right wing to denote a relationship between a Muslim man and a non-Muslim woman.

Political slugfest

The murder case has snowballed into a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the BJP, with the former saying the motive for the murder was personal and the saffron party labelling it a case of “love jihad”.

The BJP, which has been staging statewide protests demanding justice, has also accused the state government of “influencing and diluting” the investigation.

BJP national president JP Nadda met the Hiremath family on Sunday and demanded a CBI probe too. He accused Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara of “influencing and diluting” the murder investigation. He added that the BJP would cooperate if the investigation needed to be handed over to the CBI.

(With agency inputs)