Slain Hubballi student's father sees larger conspiracy

Hubbali: Niranjan Hiremath, Congress corporator and slain Neha’s father, on Sunday said that his daughter’s murder was pre-planned and that there were invisible hands behind the heinous act.

Going by the statements of Fayaz’s parents, it appears that there’s a larger conspiracy behind the murder. I will lodge a police complaint against them, he told reporters at his residence here.

“I had given names of four others involved in the murder to the police. But they have not been arrested so far. My daughter had rejected Fayaz’s proposals. A few people incited Fayaz against Neha. The police should probe into the conspiracy behind the murder,” he urged.

Several Muslim religious heads and Anjuman e Islam office-bearers, including former MLA A M Hindasgeri visited Hiremath’s house and consoled the grieving family

“We have decided in the presence of Mutavallis, that no Muslim lawyer in Hubballi-Dharwad should defend the assailant. The Muslim community will stand with the Hiremath family till the accused is punished,” Hindasgeri said.    

Munavalli in no mood to relent

Meanwhile, normal life continued to be affected at Munavalli as protests, demanding capital punishment to its resident Fayaz Khandunayak, who is accused of murdering Neha Hiremath on a college
campus in Hubballi on Thursday, entered the third day on Sunday.

The town in Saundatti taluk of Belagavi district witnessed a complete shutdown. Traders shut their businesses while RTC buses and cabs remained off roads. The Saundatti-Yeragatti state highway wore a deserted look.

The police security in the town has been beefed up since Friday when the residents of the town and the members of Hindu organisations launched protests, condemning the brutal killing of the student in Hubballi and demanding an exemplary punishment to the perpetrator.

On Sunday, BJP MLC Pradeep Shettar visited the protest site and expressed his solidarity with the agitators.

“The accused should be hanged. The Congress government should stop its appeasement politics and provide justice to slain Neha and her family members,” the MLC said.