Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his government has decided to hand over the Hubballi student murder case to the Crime Investigation Department and set up a special court for its speedy disposal.

Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently.

Neha was a first year Master of Computer Application (MCA) student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate.

"The Hubballi incident, we have decided to give it to the CID. We will set up a special court for it. Charge sheet has to be filed in a time-bound manner and the case has to be disposed of, so a special court (will be constituted)," Siddaramaiah told reporters, adding, "I strongly condemn Neha's murder." Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said the CID will submit its report in 12 days.

“The CID team will go to Hubballi today and take over the case from the district police,” the minister said.

He said some people have suspected the involvement of more people.

“Whatever the case may be, the CID will investigate and submit its report in 10 to 12 days. We have set this deadline. They cannot take months together to investigate it. I am confident that the parents of the victim will get justice and the truth will come out,” Parameshwara said.

Meanwhile, in response to a question, the chief minister said, "I have not been able to go to her (parent's) residence. Our district in-charge minister and party workers had gone. Also H K Patil (Law Minister) is going. I will go when I go there (Hubballi)." Siddaramaiah said cases of crime have come down during Congress rule. "In 2023 (Congress rule) it was 1,295 (crime cases), from 2019-2022 during four years of BJP it was -- 1,300, 1,318, 1,342, 1,370 respectively," he said.

The murder case, which has sparked widespread outrage, snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition BJP. While the ruling party says the motive for the murder was personal, the saffron party has labelled it a case of "love jihad", and claimed it stands as a testimony to the alleged deterioration of law and order in the state.

BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and other organisations aligned to Hindutva outfits have staged protests demanding justice and calling for severe punishment for the accused. Similar protests have been reported in various other places.

Home Minister Parameshwara accused the BJP of stooping low in their statements against him and the chief minister with regard to the case.

“If they are using it for political gain, then they will be disappointed. Their reaction shows that they are in panic because people are deserting them (in the Lok Sabha elections),” he said.

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