Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday spoke to Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress corporator whose 23-year-old daughter was stabbed to death by a former classmate inside her college campus in Hubballi, saying that he was "sorry" and assured "we will be on your side".
On April 18, the accused Fayaz attacked Neha, a Masters of Computer Applications (MCA) student, inside the premises of the BVB College campus. CCTV footage of the incident captured Fayaz stabbing Neha multiple times before fleeing the spot.
Fayaz, also 23, has been arrested. The college authorities and other students rushed Neha to the hospital, but she was declared brought dead.
While the state's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil visited Niranjan Hiremath at his residence in Hubballi on Tuesday, the Chief Minister told the latter on the phone, "Niranjan...very sorry. We will be on your side."
Siddaramaiah also informed the Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation about a CID probe into the case and setting up a special court, the PTI news agency reported.
"It is a serious offence... by setting up a special court we will ensure punishment for the accused person.''
On behalf of his family, Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah for handing over the case and asked him to "ensure there is an order at the earliest and provide us with justice".
In response, the Chief Minister said, "We will ensure it at the earliest."
Siddaramaiah's call with Niranjan Hiremath came a day after BJP national president JP Nadda visited the grieving family.
"I came to console the family. This is a shocking incident, and we condemn it. The statements made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara are objectionable. Their statements undermine the investigation. The people of Karnataka will not forgive the current government for its appeasement politics," he told reporters on Monday.
"If the Karnataka Police is incapable of conducting the investigation, then the state government should hand over the case to the CBI. Hiremath has also demanded a CBI enquiry into the incident because he has less trust in police."
