Neha Hiremath murder case: Accused sent to 6-day CID custody

Neha, 21, was allegedly stabbed to death by Fayaz Khodunaik on a college campus in Hubballi on April 18.

The accused in the murder case of Neha Hiremath, daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress councilor in the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation was sent to a 6-day Criminal Investigation Department (CID) custody.

The police arrested Fayaz within hours of the incident and produced him before a magistrate, who sent him to 14-day judicial custody. (HT File)

On April 18, Neha, 21, was stabbed to death allegedly by her former classmate, Fayaz Khodunaik on the campus of KLE Technological University in Hubballi Dharwad, where she was a first-year MCA student.

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The police arrested Fayaz within hours of the incident and produced him before a magistrate, who sent him to 14-day judicial custody.

The CID, however, took Fayaz's custody on Wednesday and was also granted a 6-day custody. He was, later brought to Hubballi from Dharwad.

While police investigation suggests Neha and Fayaz were in a relationship, her family members have said that he was pestering her and that she had rejected his marriage proposal.

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Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation and the father of Neha, Niranjan Hiremath has demanded the death penalty for the accused.

"Today he (Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala) came and said that they are with me. I thank him for coming. He said that the case would be heard in a fast-track court. I demand that he (the accused) should be given the death penalty," he said.

The BJP has slammed the Congress, raising allegations of deterioration of the law and order situation, "love jihad" and minority appeasement.

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"Why does Congress prioritize vote bank protection over women's safety? This isn't the first time. When there was a blast at Rameshwaram Cafe, Congress was more concerned about vote banks, not public safety. When people were beaten for saying "Ram Ram" during Ram Navami, Congress stood with the vote bank. When "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans were raised, Congress stood with the vote bank. But from Bengal to Bengaluru, Congress leaders don't stand with women or with Neha," BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla earlier said.