The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will probe the Neha Hiremath murder case, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced.
Neha, 21, was the daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation councillor. The announcement came on a day when the Bharatiya Janata Party held State-wide protests against the murder, accusing the Congress government of failure to provide security to “Hindu women and girls” and adopting a “minority appeasement” policy. The saffron party demanded a probe by CBI into the case.
The day also saw Muslim traders of Hubballi and Dharwad observing a day’s bandh in expression of solidarity with Neha’s family.
Speaking to presspersons at Shivamogga airport on Monday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the CID would conduct the probe and a special court would be set up for the speedy trial of the case. He said he would visit Neha’s family in Hubballi during his next visit to that city.
On April 18, Neha was stabbed to death allegedly by her former classmate, Fayaz, on the KLE Technological University campus in Hubballi, where she was a first year MCA student. Fayaz was arrested within hours of the incident and was produced before a magistrate, remanded him in 14-day judicial custody.
Mr. Niranjan Hiremath has welcomed the government’s decision to hand over the case to the CID and hoped that the investigators would conduct the probe in such a way that the accused gets the death penalty.
