Muslim woman heckled in B'luru for being with Hindu man, asked to hand over burqa

Bengaluru, April 15 (IANS) In a shocking case of moral policing, a young Muslim woman was harassed in a park in Bengaluru by a group of individuals for being seen with a Hindu male companion.

The incident came to light after a 2-minute-14-second video went viral on social media on Tuesday. The police are currently verifying the details of the incident.

In the video, one of the men, who appears to be recording the couple, authoritatively asks the young woman to hand over her burqa and is seen threatening her.

The video shows the group approaching the couple and asking the young woman her name. When she tries to hide behind the youth, they question him, saying she is a Muslim and he is a Hindu -- how can they be sitting together?

The youth responds that they are friends. One of the men in the group claims that they are more than friends and says he has the full video as evidence.

The man continues to heckle the young woman, demanding that she come to him and reveal her name as he is calling other members of his group to come to the spot. He repeatedly insists that she state her name.

He further says, "If you want to do all this, do it without wearing the burqa. She belongs to our (Muslim) community. Give me my burqa," he demands.

When the young woman holds her friend’s hand and tries to leave, the man follows them and insists she hand over the burqa before leaving.

He continues to torment her, saying, "What antics are you up to? You want to hold his hand? Do you have any respect for the burqa? I want you to hand it over," he insists.

"You go to hell -- we don't care. First take off the burqa, then go," the man is heard telling her.

The woman pleads with them not to create an issue. However, the man accuses her, claiming they had been watching her since she entered a hotel. He questions her, asking how she can behave like that as a Muslim.

On April 11, the Karnataka Police arrested four individuals, including a minor, in connection with a case of moral policing reported under the Chandra Layout police station limits in Bengaluru.

The accused allegedly confronted a Muslim woman for speaking with a youth from another community. They verbally abused her and attempted to assault her.

DCP (West) S. Girish s, “Within the limits of Chandra Layout police station, a boy and a girl were sitting on a bike in front of a park. Upon seeing them, a group of four to five men approached and began questioning them. The woman was wearing a burqa.”

“The accused questioned her about why she was at the location and whether she had informed her family. Based on the young woman’s complaint, we registered a case and arrested the four accused. We have also taken the minor involved into custody,” the DCP said.

Police sources stated that the young Muslim female stood her ground and confronted the group, questioning their interference in her personal matters. She reportedly told them that the person she was speaking to was her classmate and asked why she should give out her family's contact information. Her family lodged a police complaint later.

--IANS

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