Karnataka HC restricts groups, political parties from visiting Belagavi assault victim

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Saturday passed an order that no individuals, groups, associations, or political parties visit the victim of the recent Belagavi incident, wherein a woman was paraded naked and assaulted, without prior written permission from the medical officer or treating doctor.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit took up the matter at the CJ’s chambers in view of the urgency.

The court also stated that its order shall not prevent family members of the victim, official representatives of statutory authorities or commissions or investigating agencies in a need-based manner. The emergent hearing was conducted after the Chief Justice watched a news on a television channel which said, “Belagavi incident victim is to be visited by the representatives of National Human Rights Commission as well as by the delegation of a political party.”

“The visit of people to the hospital to see the victim, in the circumstances, is not unusual. This court normally would not like to restrict the freedom of movement of any citizen; however, considering the fact that the victim has suffered unbearable trauma and she has been undergoing medical treatment, in our considered opinion, the flow of visitors is likely to affect the health condition of the victim and disturb the ongoing medical treatment as well. Therefore, we deem it appropriate to restrict the visitors in the best interest of the victim and to secure undisturbed medical treatment,” the order said.

The bench added, “In the above backdrop, we direct that no person, individual, groups, associations, political parties, or the like shall visit the place of the victim except with the prior written permission of the medical officer in-charge of the hospital or the doctor treating the victim. Needless to state that the order shall not prevent the family members of the victim, the official representatives of Statutory Authorities/Commissions or the Investigating Agencies to visit the victim in a need based manner.”

The bench is hearing a suo motu PIL into the incident. On Friday, the court had sought for an additional status report on the steps taken post the brutal incident.