In Udupi district, Karnataka, the police have arrested two individuals after a 21-year-old woman was drugged and raped. One of the accused, Altaf, had connected with the woman on Instagram three months ago. On Friday, he allegedly lured her to a location under the pretense of showing her a piece of land, where two accomplices were waiting. The woman was given alcohol mixed with drugs and subsequently raped. After the assault, Altaf reportedly dropped her back home.
The incident, reported to the Karkala town police, has sparked controversy with the Opposition BJP accusing the case of being a “love jihad” conspiracy. BJP general secretary and Karkala MLA V. Sunil Kumar expressed concern, stating, “This is a concerning situation as Hindu girls are being targeted. Neither the state government nor the police are initiating strict action against the accused. It looks like it was well planned and the accused seemed to have no fear.”
The Udupi District Muslim Forum has condemned the assault and called for lawyers not to represent the accused in court. General Secretary Mohammed Shariff described the incident as a disgrace to both humanity and the community.
A police officer revealed that Altaf is from North India.