May 25, 2025

Seven suspects in the 2024 Haveri gang-rape case in Karnataka, involving a woman targeted for allegedly being in an interfaith relationship, received a warm public welcome upon their release on bail from district sub-jail this week. Videos have emerged of a celebratory ride through Akki Alur town of Haveri. Haveri SP A K Srivastava mentioned that four of the seven suspects had since been arrested again, based on a fresh FIR registered under the new penal code BNS for violations ranging from unlawful assembly to rioting and criminal intimidation. The other three are currently 'absconding'. Legal experts point out that the suspects' behavior in public post-release from jail seemed to violate the terms of their conditional bail. The suspects, charged with gang-rape under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code, had already spent 17 months in Haveri sub-jail before being granted bail on May 20 by the additional district and sessions court. The alleged gang-rape had initially been treated as a 'moral policing case', but the survivor's statement led to 19 arrests, with 12 suspects out on bail by mid-2024. The court's decision to release the seven primary accused was influenced by the survivor's alleged reluctance to maintain her statements against them. The investigation report includes statements from numerous witnesses, forensic experts, doctors, and the hotel owner and his staff, with C Gopal, then additional SP of Haveri, leading the investigation and drafting the chargesheet. The primary suspects are from Akkialuru village.

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Tags: Rape case, Karnataka, Interfaith relationship, Haveri, Bail, Public welcome,