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Man travelling with woman of different faith attacked, 2 held in Bengaluru
The incident comes at a time when there has been a visible increase in the number of hate crimes and moral policing with vigilante groups often resorting to violence in the name of safeguarding the religion.
Two persons have been arrested by Bengaluru Police for allegedly assaulting a bike rider who was carrying a woman of different faith as pillion rider on his two-wheeler, police said on Sunday.
“A video of the assault on a bike rider travelling along with a woman from a different faith was viral on social media. In this connection, a case has been registered in SG Palya, Suddaguntepalya police station. Our police swiftly acted on this and arrested two accused within 12 hours. Further investigation is going on,” said Joshi Srinath Mahadev, the deputy commissioner of police (south-east division) on Sunday.
In the video, one of the two accused threatens and assaults the biker and the other taunts and humiliates the woman.
“Remove your burqa and do whatever you want,” the perpetrator is heard saying.
They then force the woman to give them her husband’s mobile phone number and hurl abuses in the husband’s name for shaming the entire “community” by allowing his wife to travel with a stranger.
The incident comes at a time when there has been a visible increase in the number of hate crimes and moral policing with vigilante groups often resorting to violence in the name of safeguarding the religion.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that such incidents will not be tolerated and will be dealt with an iron hand.
“In connection with the case of assault on a man travelling with a woman of different faith,
@BlrCityPolice has acted swiftly, identified, secured 2 accused persons, registered case & legal action is initiated. My Govt deals with such incidents with an iron hand,” the chief minister of Karnataka tweeted from his official handle on Sunday.
