DHARWAD : Mumtaz, mother of Fayaz, the accused in the Hubballi college girl murder case, on Saturday admitted that what her son did was wrong and he should be punished according to the law of the land.
However, she claimed that her son and Neha, the victim, were in love. Addressing reporters here, Mumtaz revealed how the relationship between her son and Neha developed. Neha took Fayaz’s phone number when he won the “University Blue” title at a bodybuilding competition and started interacting with him, Mumtaz said.
She said Fayaz informed her about this a few months ago and she advised him to focus on his studies.
Stating that she could understand the pain and sorrow of the parents who lost their children, she said, “I request all, including Neha’s parents, to forgive us. I can realise their agony 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.
Minister says Neha’s murder probe will be thorough
Reacting to Mumtaz seeking 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 probe into the case. Condemning the act, she said ensuring justice to the aggrieved family is more important than using the incident for narrow political gains.
Moreover, its politicisation may lead the probe in a different direction, she added. Senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar expressed concern over attempts being made to damage the reputation of Neha and her family.
Stating G Parameshwara’s statement was uncalled for, he said the minister should have waited for proper information. Shettar blamed the “appeasement” politics of the Congress for such incidents. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Renuka Sukumar said that the probe is moving in the right direction and would be completed at the earliest.
Culprit deserves capital punishment: MB Patil
Industries Minister MB Patil on Saturday termed the girl student’s murder in Hubballi as a heinous act and opined that the culprit deserves capital punishment. Speaking to reporters he said the legal proceedings in the case should be carried out on a fast-track basis in fast-track courts to avoid delay. The culprits in such cases should be harshly punished without delay, he said. Awarding of capital punishment will help avoid the recurrence of such incidents, Patil said, and added that the heinous act of a girl student’s murder is highly condemnable. He said the central government and state governments should work in coordination to frame laws allowing capital punishment for the guilty in heinous crimes. The minister also said there should be a provision to award capital punishment for those who are found guilty in rape cases related to minors.