Neha Hiremath Murder Case: Court Grants CID 6-Day Custody of Accused

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday was granted six days custody of accused who allegedly stabbed to death a 23-year-old college student on April 18, after she allegedly rejected his proposal.

The case of Neha Hiremath which shocked the entire country was handed over to the CID for a time-bound investigation on April 22.

The state investigating agency sought 15 days custody of the accused, Fayaz. However, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) and Civil Judge Nagesh Naik gave CID six days custody of Neha Hiremath murder accused.

The Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had assured that CID would inquire into the murder of Neha Hiremath, daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress councillor in the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation.

Neha Hiremath Murder Case

The daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation was stabbed to death with a knife on the campus of BVB college by a former student after she allegedly distanced from his relationship proposal. 

The incided sparked a nationwide political row, especially in Karnataka, with the BJP suspecting it a case of ‘love jihad,’ and Congress claiming ‘personal reasons’ behind the murder. 

The incident, captured on CCTV, occurred around 5 pm on Thursday. In the footage, Neha Hiremath, a first-year Master of Computer Applications (MCA) student at KLE Technological University in Hubballi, was seen walking backward and engaging in a brief conversation with Fayaz Khondunaik until he violently approaches her and begins stabbing. 

According to reports which cited the police, the victim had known her attacker, Fayaz, who also attended the same college but later dropped out. Following the attack, Neha was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead, while the attacker went absconding. 

The Karnataka Police received the alert of such a case and launched a manhunt. Within 90 minutes of the incident, they nabbed the accused, claimed officials.