In yet another grim instance of moral policing, Karnataka police arrested four individuals on Monday in Belagavi district and launched a hunt for two more absconding suspects. The incident unfolded a few days ago under the Belagavi Rural Police Station limits, where Allauddin Pirzade, a resident of Savagaon village, was physically assaulted for conversing with a Hindu girl on the village outskirts.

The arrested have been identified as Satish Jadhav, Sumit, Veeresh, and another accomplice. According to police sources, the attackers not only thrashed Pirzade but also threatened him with dire consequences if he interacted with the girl again. Pirzade, wearing torn clothes, approached the police and lodged a formal complaint seeking protection. Authorities have assured that a thorough investigation is underway.

This incident adds to a worrying trend of moral vigilantism gripping Karnataka. On January 24, 2024, Mangaluru police detained 14 individuals linked to the right-wing Rama Sene group after they vandalized a massage parlour, alleging illicit activities. The accused were remanded in judicial custody till February 7.

Further highlighting the grave nature of moral policing, the March 2024 gang-rape incident in Hangal, Haveri district, shook the state. A minority community homemaker was abducted, assaulted, and gang-raped by a mob for associating with a man from another religion. Karnataka police have filed an 873-page chargesheet naming 19 accused, with seven directly involved in the heinous crime.

These back-to-back incidents reflect rising communal tensions and call for urgent attention to uphold law, order, and human rights.