Sixteen months ago, several men barged into the hotel room of an interfaith couple in Karnataka’s Haveri, dragged the woman to a nearby forest and allegedly gang-raped her.
Fast forward to 2025, seven of those men were granted bail, which was followed by a triumphant public procession featuring bikes, cars, music and loud celebratory chants.
The parade occurred in Akki Alur town of Haveri, where a convoy of motorbikes and cars accompanied the released individuals through local roads. The video, showing the accused smiling and flashing victory signs, has sparked outrage.
The Haveri Sessions Court recently granted bail to seven primary accused: Aftab Chandanakatti, Madar Saab Mandakki, Samiwulla Lalanavar, Mohammad Sadiq Agasimani, Shoib Mulla, Tausip Choti, and Riyaz Savikeri. All had been held in judicial custody for several months following their arrest in connection with the gang-rape of the 26-year-old woman.
The survivor, who belongs to a minority community and was reportedly in a long-term relationship with a 40-year-old Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver, had checked into a private hotel in Hanagal on January 8, 2024. Police investigations later suggested that the woman was dragged from the premises and taken to a nearby forested location, where she was allegedly gang-raped by a group of men.
A case under charges of gang-rape was registered after the survivor gave a detailed statement, initially identifying the suspects during an identification process. During subsequent court proceedings, she reportedly failed to affirm the identities of the accused, weakening the prosecution’s case.
The case originally began as an instance of moral policing. Local police had initially registered it as such, given that the survivor and her partner were an interfaith couple staying in a private hotel room. It was only after the woman provided a formal statement to the magistrate on January 11, that police added gang-rape charges.