Hubballi: In a chilling echo of the recent murder of Neha Hiremath, a 20-year-old woman was brutally killed in front of her family on Wednesday morning in Hubballi. The victim, Anjali, was attacked allegedly by a man whose romantic advances she had spurned.
The incident occurred in Veerapur Oni, in the 68th ward of the Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation, represented by Neha Hiremath’s father, Niranjan Hiremath.
Anjali, 21, who worked at a canteen, lived with her two sisters at their grandmother’s house. On Wednesday around 5.30 am, Girish knocked on the door of Anjali's house. When the door was opened he forced his way into the house. He wanted to marry Anjali and when she refused, he allegedly stabbed her in front of her family and fled from the spot.
The incident provoked an angry protest, who demanded immediate arrest of the accused, strict action against him, and compensation for Anjali's impoverished family. Officials finally pacified the crowd and made arrangements for Anjali’s last rites.
Anjali’s sister recounted the horrifying events before the reporters.
"He came into the house, declared his love for Anjali, and proposed marriage. Our grandmother asked him to involve his family. He called Anjali to come. As she too was not willing to accept his proposal he stabbed her in the stomach," Anjali's sister said.
She added that the accused had been harassing Anjali over the phone and had previously threatened her.
"We had told this to the police. They had assured to look into it," she added.
Anjali’s father, who lives separately, said he had warned the accused to stay away from his daughter. Girish had promised to cease his advances.
Niranjan Hiremath, corporator of the ward and father of the late Neha Hiremath, expressed his outrage.
"First, my own daughter was murdered. Now, another girl in my ward has faced the same fate. We need stringent measures against these criminals to prevent such tragedies," he demanded.
He expressed unhappiness over the police officials.
Hubli-Dharwad Central MLA Mahesh Tenginakai also voiced his dissatisfaction, criticizing the lack of preventive action following Neha's murder.
"The family of Anjali had approached the police. If strict action had been taken then, this incident would not have occurred," he stated.
The murder of Neha Hiremath, the daughter of Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath, by her former classmate on April 18, had already sparked widespread outrage and became a significant political issue during the parliamentary elections.
