Assault on woman lawyer: Karnataka State Human Rights Commission sends notice to police, others

The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has sent notices to the police and other authorities on a complaint filed on behalf of lawyer Sangeeta Shikkeri, who was recently assaulted in Bagalkot over a property dispute..On receiving the complaint, KSHRC Chairperson Justice DH Waghela stated,"If the allegations made in the complaint are true, it amounts to violation of human rights of the victims.".A video of Shikkeri being assaulted by one Mahantesh Cholachagudda had gone viral on social media..The complaint filed by Shikkeri's sister before the KSHRC pointed out an earlier instance of harassment faced by the lawyer and her family on May 8, when Bagalkot BJP General Secretary Raju Naikar and others allegedly entered her residence and illegally detained them. It was alleged that the trespassers tortured Shikkeri and her husband physically and damaged property to the tune of ₹10 lakh with the aim of forcibly taking possession of the disputed property in which they were residing. The complaint further stated that the men threatened the family members, outraged the modesty of Shikkeri's mother and abused her with filthy language..These acts were committed at the instigation of one Hanumanthappa Singappa Shikkeri, at the behest of whom Assistant Executive Engineer of the Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) Arvind Nayak and the town municipal water supply engineer Khaji disconnected electricity and water supply to the house, the complaint claimed..After filing an initial complaint on May 13, another complaint was filed on behalf of Shikkeri by advocate Sudha Katwa on May 16. Katwa claimed that despite a complaint being filed against Naikar and others at Bagalkot Police Station, no action was taken against them and that Naikar's name was deleted from the first information report (FIR). The Commission, thus, issued notice to the Additional Director General of Police attached to KSHRC, the Managing Director of HESCOM, and the Commissioner of the Bagalkot town municipality and sought their responses by June 7, on which date the case will be listed before a full bench of the Commission..[Read Order]