Protests in Bengaluru, Hubballi; victim’s father says she rejected man’s advances
A day after the daughter of a Congress corporator in Karnataka was stabbed to death by a former classmate on her college campus, the father of the accused said on Friday that his son should be “punished in such a way that no man thinks of harassing a woman”.
Baba Saheb Subani, a schoolteacher and the father of 23-year-old Fayaz, told the media that eight months ago, the family members of the victim, Neha Hiremath, had called him and informed that his son was troubling her.
“I came to know about this incident (murder) around 6 pm on Thursday. I was shocked. He (Fayaz) should be punished in a way that no one dares to do such a thing in future. Neha was like my daughter, I apologise to her family members,” he said.
Subani said he wanted to make his son a soldier and had sent him to the gym to train for it. “For six years, my wife and I have been living separately. Fayaz stayed with his mother,” he said.
“It has been three months since I spoke to Fayaz; he called me whenever he needed money. I admit my son has made a mistake. It is also true that Fayaz and Neha were in a love relationship and he told me he wanted to marry her, but I refused it by folding my hands,” said Subani.
The victim’s father, Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) corporator Niranjan Hiremath, said Fayaz killed his daughter for spurning his advances. Speaking to the media on Friday, Hiremath said his family knew that Fayaz was pestering Neha to accept his proposal. “When my daughter was pursuing BCA, he (Fayaz) also enrolled in the same college but failed. He was pestering my daughter for a love relationship but she refused. When he continued to pressurise her, she informed her mother. My brother and others had warned him and also informed Fayaz’s parents about it. Despite all this, I lost my daughter,” he said.
Investigation into the murder of 21-year-old Neha has revealed that Fayaz, her former classmate at KLE Technological University, killed her for allegedly rejecting his advances, said the police.
On Thursday, Neha, a first-year MCA student, was stabbed to death by Fayaz on the college premises. The incident was captured on CCTV camera. Fayaz, who too was injured in the attack, was taken to the hospital, along with the victim, and arrested later in the evening. On Friday, the police produced him before the magistrate who sent him to 14-day judicial custody.
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bengaluru and Hubballi staged massive protests, demanding justice for Neha and safety for women on campus. Members of the Muslim community also staged a protest on Sankeshwar-Savadatti highway, demanding severe punishment for the accused. Anjuman-e-Islam, Hubballi, demanded an impartial investigation.
Hiremath said his wife had gone to pick Neha from the college. She was waiting at the gate when Fayaz reached Neha and stabbed her multiple times.
He said they were looking for a groom for Neha, which may have come to Fayaz’s knowledge and he decided to kill her. “The government has given priority to women’s education and jobs. If they are not safe, what is the point of all this? There must be a policy to hang such people,” said the grieving father. “If this can happen to the daughter of a corporator, how safe are the common people?” he said.