Forgive us, says mother of accused Hubballi girl murder

DHARWAD: Mumtaz, mother of Fayaz, the accused in the Hubballi student murder case, on Saturday admitted that what her son did was wrong and he should be punished as per the laws of the land.

However, she claimed that her son and Neha, the victim, were in love. Speaking to reporters here, Mumtaz revealed how her son and Neha’s relationship developed. Neha took Fayaz’s phone number when he won the ‘University Blue’ title in a bodybuilding competition and started communicating with him, Mumtaz said.

She said that Fayaz informed her about this a few months ago and she advised him to focus on his studies.

Saying that she could understand the pain and grief of the parents who lost their children, she said, “I request everyone, including Neha’s parents, to forgive us. I can appreciate their pain and I am equally concerned,” she added. Meanwhile, Neha’s mother said that her daughter was not in love with Fayaz. They were just classmates. But Fayaz was after Neha and she had complained about this many times. “We told her not to take it seriously,” Neha’s mother added.

The minister says Neha’s murder investigation will be thorough

Responding to Mumtaz’s plea for forgiveness, Neha’s mother said, “This will not help us get our daughter back.”

Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar met Neha’s parents and assured them of a thorough investigation into the matter. She condemned the act and said ensuring justice for the aggrieved family was more important than using the incident for limited political gains.

Moreover, its politicization could take the investigation in a different direction, she added. Senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar expressed concern over attempts to tarnish the reputation of Neha and her family.

Since G Parameshwara’s statement was inappropriate, he said the minister should have waited for proper information. Shettar blamed Congress’ ‘appeasement policy’ for such incidents. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar said the investigation is moving in the right direction and will be completed at the earliest.

Perpetrator deserves the death penalty: MB Patil

Industries Minister MB Patil on Saturday called the murder of the student in Hubballi a heinous act and said the perpetrator deserves the death penalty. Speaking to reporters, he said the legal proceedings in the case should be expedited in fast-track courts to avoid delay. The perpetrators in such cases should be severely punished without delay, he said. Awarding death penalty will help prevent recurrence of such incidents, Patil said, adding that the heinous act of murdering a girl is highly condemnable. He said the central and state governments should work together to frame laws that would allow capital punishment for those guilty of heinous crimes. The minister also said that there should be a provision to award death penalty to those found guilty in rape cases related to minors.