Karnataka police took affirmative action by facilitating the marriage of an eloped couple at the sub-registrar office in Belagavi. The marriage ceremony transpired at the Belagavi South Sub-Registrar’s Office, formalizing the union of the two through the legal procedure.
This intervention followed a distressing incident on December 10, wherein a 42-year-old woman was subjected to humiliation—dragged outside her residence, stripped, paraded, and assaulted. The motive behind the assault was reported to be the elopement of her son with a girl from the village of Vantmuri. The assailants were identified as family members of the girl.
In response, the girl, cooperated with the police, providing statements against her father and paternal uncle. She disclosed that they had threatened her over the phone, warning of a similar heinous act if she did not return home.
Earlier, the Karnataka High Court strongly rebuked the government for the police department’s failure to prevent the incident. The court expressed concerns about the impact on women’s sense of safety and compared the incident to the epic Mahabharata, emphasizing the absence of intervention in the modern world.
The court proposed imposing fines on villagers who witnessed the atrocity without intervening, suggesting that the collected funds be allocated to the victim. The bench, headed by Chief Justice PB Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit, also recommended the Karnataka government enact provisions for punishment or fines for the residents of Vantamuri Village in Belagavi district, where the incident occurred.
The case is currently under investigation by the Special wing Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has apprehended all 13 individuals, including a minor, associated with the case. Additionally, the state government has granted 2 acres of land to the victim, and the CID is preparing a comprehensive 1,500-page charge sheet for submission to the court.