In Karnataka, a group of six men forcibly entered a lodge room in Hanagal Taluk, Haveri District, and brutally assaulted a couple for the perceived ‘crime’ of being together despite practicing different faiths.
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The six men, filmed themselves waiting outside the couple’s lodge room, indicating a premeditated intent to harm. Once they recorded the room number, they knocked on the door and aggressively barged in upon its opening. Immediately, the attackers targeted the woman, who desperately tried to shield her face with a burqa. Muttering offensive language, the men mercilessly struck the woman, causing her to collapse to the floor. The male victim, attempting to escape the violence, was also assaulted and apprehended by two or three of the attackers.
 "Assault On Interfaith Couple Sparks Outrage In Karnataka 87")
Source: NDTV
The shocking scenes continue as one man corners the woman near the bed, while another ruthlessly hits her and drags her to the floor once again. In a further disturbing video recorded outside the lodge post-attack, the woman struggles to cover her face, but the men forcibly lift her hijab and record her against her will.
Following this horrendous incident, the victims lodged a formal complaint at the Hanagal police station. As a result, two out of the six attackers, belonging to the minority community, have been apprehended. The police have charged the accused with serious offenses, including attempt to murder, kidnapping, and outraging the modesty of a woman. Authorities are actively pursuing the remaining four suspects to bring them to justice.
According to a police officer, the assault transpired on January 7 at Nalhara Cross in Hanagal. The authorities are diligently working to locate the remaining four accused involved in this heinous crime.
Source: Public TV English
This incident follows closely on the heels of another disturbing event in Belagavi, where seven men were arrested for assaulting two cousins under the mistaken assumption that they were an interfaith couple. The victims, who clarified their familial relationship, continued to face violence from the assailants, raising concerns about the increasing frequency of such attacks based on misconceptions about interfaith relationships.
