Belagavi, January 8: A man and woman from different religious backgrounds were mercilessly assaulted with pipes and rods by a group of 17 people in Belagavi, Karnataka, on Saturday, January 6, for being together near a lake in an alarming incident of moral policing. The victims are reportedly cousins, while the incident took place when they went together to apply for the state government's scheme. The cousins were attacked and beaten for hours until their families intervened to save them.

According to authorities, the accused were members of a minority community, nine of whom have already been taken into custody. The police state that two of the accused are minors. Karnataka 'Moral Policing' Video: Four Arrested, Booked in Attempt to Murder and Rioting Case for Assaulting Medical Students on Someshwara Beach.

Around 1:30 PM on Saturday, the victims were seated close to Killa Lake in Belagavi when a group of about eight people approached them and began questioning their identities. According to the authorities, they began asking him about why they were seated so close to the woman after discovering that their religions were different.

The complaint stated that the man was assaulted by the thugs, who even attempted to strangle him. Later, other individuals joined the group, and according to the complaint, they dragged the cousins into a room where they viciously beat the guy for hours. It stated that they had beaten him till 6:30 PM. Police stated that the woman was also attacked. Moral Policing in Karnataka: Bajrang Dal Activist Assaulted for Having Friendship With Muslim Woman in Chikkamagaluru.

The man claimed that in addition to taking their cell phones, the gang also stole money from them. The woman's parents reportedly belonged to different communities, and the victim male is the son of her mother's aunt. According to reports, a case under the Prevention of Atrocities Act has been filed since the guy belonged to the Scheduled Castes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2024 09:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).