Congress govt hands over Neha murder probe to CID amid state-wide protests by BJP

Bengaluru, April 22 (IANS) The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged state-wide protests against the murder of MCA student and Congress leader's daughter, Neha Hiremath.  

Meanwhile, following the public outrage and demand by Neha's family, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the murder case would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department. 

Neha's father, Niranjan Hiremath, on Monday claimed that his daughter was forced to convert while saying the Karnataka Police were behaving like a puppet of the state government. 

Slamming the Congress government over "appeasement politics resulting in the collapse of law and order in the state", the BJP has stated that it will not protest until the accused Fayaz Kondikoppa is hanged. 

Thousands of party workers in district headquarters staged protests demanding justice for Neha Hiremath.

Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also participated in the protest. 

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who led the protest in Haveri said that the investigation should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. 

Bommai further stated that the way in which the accused stabbed her to death in broad daylight shows that he was not alone and not due to personal reasons. 

"The previous BJP government had taken steps to hang an accused in the brutal rape case in Chikkamagaluru. Neha's father, Niranjan Hiremath has no confidence in the state police, and he has been upset with the government's attitude. The case must be referred to the CBI. The BJP would continue its protest till the accused is hanged to death," Bommai said. 

Karnataka unit BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra addressing a gathering in Mysuru stated that the mothers and sisters of the state would teach the Congress government in the state a lesson.

"Instead of booting the murderers into the prison, the Chief Minister of the state is protecting them," Vijayendra stated. 

Neha Hiremath, an MCA student, was stabbed to death by Fayaz Kondikoppa at a college campus in Hubballi. 

The accused was caught and handed over to the police by students. 

State Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that the accused and Neha were in love, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it was not a case of love jihad.

--IANS

mka/pgh