A man in Shivamogga, Karnataka, was allegedly attacked and robbed after he told a
group of men that he was Hindu when they questioned him late Saturday night.
According to the FIR, Harish was walking near Party Kasana, 2nd Cross Down,
around 11:15 pm when four men stopped him and asked, “Are you a Muslim or a
Hindu?”
When he replied, “I am a Hindu,” they allegedly punched him in the eye and nose,
took ₹50,000 from his pocket, and threatened him with a knife while asking him to
remove his gold ring.
Harish said he tried to run but was chased, caught, and beaten again until a bike
rider passed by, which made the attackers run away.
He went to two hospitals for treatment and then filed a complaint on November
17, saying he stayed home for two days because he was scared. After this,
Shivamogga MLA S.N. Channabasappa visited the Doddapete Police Station with
the victim and strongly criticised the local police.
He questioned whether the police system in the city was actually working,
accusing officers of failing to ensure public safety.
At the station, he alleged that the police were “interfering in civil
disputes instead of protecting citizens” and said people no longer felt
safe approaching them. He also said even MLAs were being forced to file complaints
for the public and accused the police of leaking complainants’ identities.
Channabasappa demanded quick answers and action from the police, blaming them
for poor law and order in Shivamogga.