BJP worker 'stripped' by police during SIR drive in Hubbali; cops deny allegations

HUBBALI: A BJP worker in Hubballi has alleged that she was assaulted by Keshwapur police under the Hubballi-Dharwad police commissionerate on Wednesday, in connection with a complaint filed by Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.

The worker said police assaulted her and that her clothes were stripped off during the incident.

"We had been with officials who were conducting Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in the Keshwapur area on Tuesday, and Corporator Kallakuntla's supporters had objected to it," she said. In a video, she was seen with male and female police personnel in a bus.




Police said complaints and counter-complaints were filed by both parties. "When two cops tried to arrest her, she grabbed our mobile phones and resisted. As we called some women police constables, she called other female workers of her party. She only stripped off her clothes and insisted on other women making videos on their phones," they added.

Police further said a citizen, Prashant Bommajji, filed a complaint on Sunday night alleging he was assaulted by the BJP worker and others for questioning the presence of BJP workers with the Booth Level Officer (BLO) during the SIR.

Corporator Kallakuntla said the issue started with a BLO, Nandini Kulkarni, who went to conduct SIR with BJP workers.

"As a BLO, she should go independently or call booth agents of all political parties. Since she was accompanying BJP workers, some citizens had objected to it. When we got the information, we rushed there and found that the BLO was accompanying BJP workers. We had complained about the BLO to the HDMC Commissioner on Saturday itself. Later, Handi assaulted citizens who had alerted us about the BLO's wrongdoing," she added.

Police commissioner N. Shashikumar and DCPs Mahanand Nandagavi and C.R. Raveesha rushed to Keshwapur police station to review the incident. Shashikumar said he will brief the media once verification is concluded.

DCP Law and Order Mahaning Nandagavi said that when cops went to arrest the woman in connection with a 307 case, she kicked and even bit cops. "She created a high drama by stripping off herself. Our woman PCs covered her with clothes. She even kicked at private parts of our personnel. She also intended to hang her sister. We have videos of all of her acts. A medico legal case is registered against her for kicking at private part of one Prashant Bommajji. She has also had nine previous cases of honeytrap, obstruction, blackmailing etc." he added