New Delhi: A woman was brutally attacked, stripped naked and tied to an electric pole in a village in Belagavi district of Karnataka, after her son ran away with a girl who was already engaged to someone else, police said on Monday. The incident took place in new Vantamuri village, where the girl’s family members stormed into the boy’s house, ransacked it and dragged his mother out. They then stripped her naked and tied her to an electric pole, in a shocking act of violence.
The police, who were alerted about the incident at 4 am, reached the spot and rescued the woman. They arrested seven people involved in the crime and registered a case in Kakati police station. Additional forces were deployed in the village to prevent any further trouble.
Belagavi Police Commissioner Siddramappa said that the boy, Ashok (24), and the girl, Priyanka (18), belonged to the same community and village and were in love. They eloped at around 12:30 am on Monday, which enraged the girl’s parents and relatives, who took out their anger on the boy’s mother.
The incident drew strong condemnation from the state government, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah terming it “extremely inhuman” and vowing to take strict action against the perpetrators. He said that the incident had shamed the whole society and that his government would not tolerate such heinous acts for any reason.
He also assured justice to the victim’s family and said that several people had been arrested in connection with the case. He posted his statement on ‘X’, a social media platform.
Home Minister G Parameshwara, who visited the area, also expressed his shock and disgust over the incident and said that 10-15 members of the girl’s family had assaulted the boy’s mother, who was alone at home. He said that the police had rescued the woman and taken her to hospital for treatment.
He said that seven people had been arrested and would be produced before the court. He also said that the police were trying to trace the couple who had eloped. He called the incident a shameful one and said that the police were acting in accordance with the law.
