Investigation into Belagavi stripping case in final stage, govt. tells Karnataka High Court

The State government on Wednesday told the High Court of Karnataka that the investigation into the Belagavi stripping incident is in the final stage and the probe report would be submitted before the jurisdictional court by the end of January.

The State government on Wednesday told the High Court of Karnataka that the investigation into the Belagavi stripping incident is in the final stage and the probe report would be submitted before the jurisdictional court by the end of January.

Also, the government said the victim woman had not accepted the land offered as compensation through the Karnataka Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation at a village far away from her place and sought the grant of land near her village, and her request was under activer consideration of the authorities.

Accepting these statements, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishan S. Dixit adjourned further hearing by three weeks on a PIL petition, suo motu initiated by the court soon after the incident in December last year, and asked the government to submit further status report.

The court, on December 12, 2023, had suo motu taken cognisance of the incident and barred the national and regional television channels from telecasting any interview or interaction with the woman to protect her dignity as some crew members were found recording her visuals when Minister for Woman and Child Development Laxmi Hebbalkar had met the victim.

Later, the court on December 16 directed that no person, individual, group, association or political party should visit the victim at the hospital without the prior written permission of the medical officer.