Karnataka BJP worker alleges she was stripped, assaulted in police action during protest

Mangalore Today News Network

Hubballi, January 7, 2026: A BJP woman activist in Karnataka’s Hubballi has alleged that she was stripped and assaulted by police personnel during a protest in the Keshwapur area. The police, however, have denied the allegations and presented a contrasting version of events.

The woman activist, identified as Sujata Handi, also known as Vijayalakshmi, alleged that she was assaulted by police personnel while being taken into custody during a protest.

According to the allegations, the police stripped her and used force.

The woman linked the police action to a complaint filed by a Congress corporator, alleging that the police acted in a partisan manner.

She claimed that the alleged assault took place following a complaint lodged by Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla, and accused the police of acting with undue aggression and bias.

Meanwhile, the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner has rejected the allegations.

Addressing the media, the Commissioner stated that the claims of stripping and assault were false and misleading.

According to the police version, the BJP woman activist removed her saree herself during the arrest process.

The Police Commissioner said that such actions are sometimes adopted by individuals to resist arrest.

“Some people remove their clothes to avoid being taken into custody. In this case, the woman activist removed her saree herself while resisting arrest," he said, denying any wrongdoing by police personnel involved in the operation.

The police also registered a complaint against her, alleging that she misbehaved with two police personnel during the arrest and bit some of them.

The police maintain that their actions were in accordance with the law and were necessitated by the situation on the ground.

Further elaborating on the background of the woman activist, the Police Commissioner stated that she has eight criminal cases registered against her, including two recent cases.

One of these cases, according to the police, relates to an alleged attempt to murder one of her neighbours.

Officials further claimed that Sujata attempted to escape during the arrest, leading to a scuffle between her and the police team.

At present, Sujata is in judicial custody, as confirmed by the police.