Belagavi, Dec 16 – Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said all culprits involved in parading a tribal woman have been arrested.
“Our government swung into action immediately after learning of the incident. We have arrested all the culprits,” he told a section of media here.
Shivakumar said,” there is no question of shielding the offenders, and the law will take its course.” The Congress party is committed to ensuring the safety of women across the country, he added.
The arrests come in the wake of BJP planning a nationwide protest over the stripping and parading incident at New Vantamuri village in Belagavi district.
In a bizarre incident, a tribal woman was dragged out of her house, stripped, paraded naked and tied to an electric pole, after her son eloped with the daughter of the accused family.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sent a notice to the Congress government in Karnataka on Friday in this regard and decided to send its fact-finding team to the Belagavi district.
The NHRC also asked the Congress government to submit a report within four weeks on the action taken in the case.
“The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report carried on December 12, 2023, that a 42-year-old woman was stripped, paraded naked, tied to an electric pole and assaulted at Hosa (New) Vantamuri village, Belagavi district, Karnataka, after her son eloped with a girl from the same village,” the panel said in an official statement.
It also said that the contents of the news report, if true, do point to a serious violation of the victim’s human rights.
“The purported act, as reported, seems to have a stereotyped patriarchal approach, which is a clear demonstration of the violation of the right to life and dignity of the victim. The state must safeguard vulnerable sections of society, especially women, children, elderly persons and people,” the NHRC said.
