The police, however, have strongly denied the allegations, claiming the woman created a disturbance and stripped herself during her arrest.
The incident took place under the Hubballi–Dharwad Police Commissionerate, following complaints linked to the ongoing SIR exercise.
What the BJP Worker Alleged
The BJP worker alleged that she was assaulted by personnel from Keshwapur Police Station on Wednesday in connection with a complaint filed by Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.Speaking about the incident, she claimed that police officials physically assaulted her and stripped her clothes. She said the dispute began while she was accompanying officials conducting the SIR voter list revision in Keshwapur on Tuesday.
“Corporator Kallakuntla’s supporters objected to our presence during the SIR work,” the BJP worker alleged.
A video circulating online shows the woman inside a bus with male and female police personnel, further fuelling the political row.
Police Version: ‘She Stripped Herself’, Say Cops
The police have rejected the allegations outright, stating that complaints and counter-complaints were filed by both sides.According to police officials, the BJP worker resisted arrest, grabbed officers’ mobile phones and called other party workers to the spot. They claimed she removed her own clothes and insisted that women record videos during the confrontation.“She stripped herself and created a scene. Our women police constables immediately covered her,” police said.
Citizen’s Complaint and Earlier Incident
Police also revealed that a local resident, Prashant Bommajji, had filed a complaint on Sunday night, alleging that he was assaulted by the BJP worker and others after questioning the presence of BJP workers alongside the Booth Level Officer (BLO) during the SIR exercise.
Congress Corporator’s Claim on SIR Irregularities
Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla said the dispute arose due to alleged procedural violations by the BLO.“A BLO should conduct SIR work independently or in the presence of booth agents from all political parties. Here, the officer was accompanied only by BJP workers,” she said.Kallakuntla added that her party had already complained about the BLO to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) Commissioner and alleged that citizens who objected were later assaulted.
Senior Police Officials Step In
Following the incident, Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar and Deputy Commissioners Mahanand Nandagavi and C.R. Raveesha visited Keshwapur Police Station to review the situation.Shashikumar said the police would brief the media after verification of all facts and video evidence.
DCP Claims Woman Assaulted Cops
DCP (Law and Order) Mahanand Nandagavi claimed that the BJP worker was being arrested in connection with a Section 307 (attempt to murder) case when she allegedly kicked and bit police personnel.“She kicked officers on their private parts and created high drama. A medico-legal case has been registered,” the DCP said.He also claimed the woman had multiple previous cases, including allegations of obstruction and blackmailing, and said police possess video evidence of the incident.
Probe Underway
Authorities have confirmed that a detailed verification is ongoing, with video footage, witness statements and medical reports under examination. Further action will be decided after the inquiry is completed.The incident has sparked sharp political reactions amid the sensitive SIR voter list revision drive, with both sides accusing each other of misconduct.Inputs from TOI
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Source: Economic Times
