Police “stripped and assaulted” a Karnataka BJP woman leader while she was being arrested.

A dispute broke out in Hubballi, Karnataka, after a BJP women activist claimed that while being arrested by officers from the Keshwapur police station, she was stripped and severely beaten. A video of the incident shows the female employee on a bus surrounded by both male and female police officers. The attack was connected to a previous feud between BJP and Congress workers in the Keshwapur Rana region, according to the complaint.

However, police asserted that Sujatha misbehaved with them and resisted arrest; as a result, a counter-complaint was filed. She was later the subject of a case, including one under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code. BJP leaders condemned the police action, terming it “inhuman and politically motivated,” and demanded immediate action against the officers involved.

According to Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Shashi Kumar, the event happened in Chalukya Nagar, which is within the jurisdiction of Keshwapur Police Station, while competent officials were conducting a survey.

“There were differences among local residents, leading to a scuffle. A large crowd gathered, arguments broke out, and the situation escalated into physical assault,” he said, adding that three separate cases were registered based on the incident. He said that on January 5, a woman was taken into custody and arrested in one of the cases registered by a local resident under an attempted murder charge. “She had allegedly brutally attacked another person,” he said.

Addressing the arrest, the Commissioner said, “During the arrest, she, along with people associated with her, strongly resisted the police. In that process, one of our sub-inspectors and three to four police personnel were seriously assaulted and obstructed from performing their official duties.” He said a separate case was registered by the police in this regard.

On the video circulating on social media, Shashi Kumar said, “While she was being taken to the vehicle, she was wearing her clothes. After being taken inside the vehicle, she removed her clothes herself and threw them away.” He added that women police personnel, with the help of local residents, ensured that she was properly clothed.

Rejecting the allegations, he said, “The allegation that the police misbehaved with her is completely false.” He added that she has nine cases registered against her—“five from previous years and four this year, including three cases filed by the public and one by our police staff.”