Bengaluru: A Muslim youth has been arrested in Karnataka’s Hubballi city for allegedly assaulting a Hindu girl after she decided to end ‘friendship’ with him following the alleged murder of an MCA student and Congress leader’s daughter Neha Hiremath by a Muslim youth with whom she was in a ‘relationship’.
The arrested individual has been identified as Aftab, a fruit seller, the police said on Monday.
The girl told police that she was introduced to Aftab through another Muslim girl who was her classmate.
“Aftab has been pursuing me for two years. He had gifted bags and other articles. I tried to be friends with him. However, after the Neha murder case, I began having apprehensions about Aftab’s intentions and told him to end all ties between us.
“He asked me to return all the gifts that he had given. When I came to return the gifts and told him to end the friendship, he assaulted me and hit my head in a public place,” the girl told the media.
Aftab also set on fire the gifts returned by the girl on a roadside.
“The passers-by came to my assistance after noticing that I was being assaulted, and they took Aftab away,” she said.
An eyewitness of the alleged assault who rescued the girl said that he suddenly noticed that a young girl had been attacked in broad daylight in a public place.
“I rushed to her help and pushed him away. He was holding a knife,” he said.
The girl in her complaint with the police said Aftab had forcefully gifted her bags and other items. She claimed that he also forced her to continue the relationship and assaulted her.
The police have taken up the case for investigation.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar said on Monday that the police have arrested the accused, Aftab, in connection with the case.
–IANS