Woman BJP worker alleges 'clothes torn'; Police claim 'she stripped'

A political storm has erupted in Hubballi, Karnataka, after a woman Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker alleged that she was stripped and assaulted while in police custody during her arrest. The incident is linked to a local dispute over a voter survey exercise, triggering sharp reactions from the opposition party and raising questions over police conduct.

According to the survivor, her “dignity was ripped apart” inside a police vehicle as officers allegedly assaulted her while taking her into custody. The BJP claims the woman’s clothes were torn during the arrest after she resisted and objected, and a video of the incident has since gone viral, intensifying the political fallout.

The Karnataka BJP has termed the episode a serious custodial and gender crime, demanding accountability from the police. Party leaders have alleged misuse of power and targeted harassment, asserting that the incident reflects a breakdown of law enforcement safeguards for women.

Hubballi Police Commissioner Shashi Kumar, however, has rejected the allegations, stating that the woman was arrested in connection with an attempted murder case filed by a local resident. He said the arrest followed clashes during the survey, during which police personnel were abused and assaulted.

Kumar claimed that the woman resisted arrest, bit a sub-inspector, and that she herself removed her clothes while being taken to the police vehicle. He added that women police staff later helped her dress with assistance from locals, and maintained that reports of police misbehaviour were “completely incorrect”.