Allegations of police brutality against BJP woman worker Sujatha Handi in Hubballi’s Keshwapur police station limits have intensified, with her family now making serious accusations against senior police officials. The issue has sparked a political storm, even as police authorities have denied wrongdoing and offered a counter version of events.

Speaking to the media, Sujatha’s mother Kamalamma alleged that her daughter was assaulted and forcibly stripped by police personnel during custody. She claimed the police are now pressuring the family to give statements saying that Sujatha undressed herself voluntarily. “My daughter was repeatedly beaten by the police. They themselves stripped her and assaulted her. How is it possible for a woman to undress herself in front of so many police personnel?” Kamalamma questioned emotionally.

She further alleged that the harassment did not stop there. “Inspector Kareppa Hatti from Keshwapur police station has been continuously pressuring us. He came to our house and threatened us to give a statement saying my daughter undressed herself. He even demanded that we repeat the same statement before the court and the judge,” she alleged. Kamalamma claimed the family’s troubles began during the ongoing voter list revision process. “For nearly ten years, our family supported the Congress. About one to one-and-a-half years ago, we joined the BJP. During voter list revision, my son accompanied the Booth Level Officer for house mapping. From that day, our problems started,” she alleged, hinting at political vendetta. The Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Shashi Kumar, however, denied the allegations. He stated that Sujatha was not naked when taken into custody. “She was clothed when police arrested her. After entering the police van, she undressed herself and created a scene,” the Commissioner said.

Providing further clarification after a video of the alleged incident went viral, the Police Commissioner said Sujatha has a criminal background. “Since 2020, excluding New Year-related cases, five cases have been registered against her one at Dharwad Vidyagiri police station and four at Keshwapur. This year alone, four more cases have been added, taking the total to nine,” he stated. Amid rising tensions, Sujatha’s family met BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginkai at his residence in Hubballi and narrated their ordeal. The family alleged that within just four days, four FIRs were registered against Sujatha and her relatives. They claimed that police recorded a video statement under pressure and threatened to file more counter-cases if they refused.

Reacting sharply, MLA Mahesh Tenginkai condemned the police action and accused them of acting at the behest of a Congress corporator. “In just four days, four cases have been filed against this family. What crime did they commit? During voter list revision, Congress corporators threatened BLOs, but no cases were registered then. Only this family has been targeted,” he alleged. The MLA further accused the Police Commissioner of attempting to shield guilty officers and suppress the truth. As allegations and denials continue, demands are growing for an independent probe into the incident, which has now become a major test of police accountability and political neutrality in Karnataka.