A 23-year-old gym trainer was allegedly assaulted on Friday after being taken away by a group following a confrontation linked to his relationship with a girl in Karnataka’s Hubballi, police said, adding that they are also probing allegations of rape and blackmail against him.

The 20-year-old woman has released a video statement alleging that the trainer, Sameer Mulla, took her to his house, gave her a drink, and raped her.

She alleged that he recorded a video of the act and later used it to blackmail her. Police said an investigation has been launched and that allegations made by both sides are being examined.

The incident occurred within the limits of the Old Hubballi police station.

City Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said a detailed investigation would be conducted based on the complaints received.

“A complaint has been lodged, and we are registering an FIR. The case will be investigated accordingly. Apart from this, two to three related incidents have also come to light, and cases are being taken up in the respective jurisdictional police stations,” he told reporters.

Explaining the allegations, he said the girl’s parents had stated that she was harassed and that some of her photos and videos were used to blackmail her.

“There are also allegations of attempted misuse by the youth concerned,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Shashikumar had said the incident stemmed from a personal dispute between two families and was not related to ‘love jihad’.

According to him, the incident took place between 8 am and 9 am, when a group of people went to the youth’s house, leading to a confrontation.

During the altercation, the youth was taken away and later brought to a police station.

“It was found that the issue was related to a relationship between the youth and a girl. The girl’s family members had come to threaten the man,” he said.

He added that after the youth was taken away, his family members went to the girl’s house, where another confrontation took place.
“There was some friction at both places. The man has been rescued and is undergoing treatment for minor injuries,” he said.

Responding to allegations by Hindutva organisations, terming the case as ‘love jihad’, the Commissioner said it was a personal dispute. “For us, it is a criminal case, and we will investigate accordingly,” he said, adding that action would be taken based on complaints from both sides.

Sameer’s sister, Taiseem Mulla, alleged that her brother was forcibly taken away and assaulted by a group and demanded strict action against those involved. The family has also filed a complaint with the police.

The family searched for him but could not trace him for nearly two hours, she claimed, adding that he was later found and admitted to the hospital with injuries.

According to her, Sameer and the woman had been in a relationship for the past three years. She also alleged that photos and videos of the two were circulated in a group before the incident.

Refuting allegations of ‘love jihad’, she said the family respects all religions and only seeks justice for her brother.

The term ‘love jihad’ is used by some right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into relationships and marriage to convert them to Islam.

In her video statement, the woman said she was friends with Taiseem and attended several events, including birthday and weekend parties, where Sameer was also present.

“Later, Sameer became close to me. One day, he took me to his house and gave me a drink. After that, he raped me and recorded a video. I was not aware of it at the time and came to know only after he showed me the video,” she alleged.

The woman’s mother alleged that her daughter had been “hypnotised and harassed” by Sameer and his family.

She claimed that Sameer had misled her daughter and denied that any relationship existed between them.

She also claimed that Sameer and his family had been harassing her daughter for the past four to five days.

“Today, they came to our house with the intention of setting it on fire. They brought petrol, hockey sticks and swords and attacked us,” she alleged.

The woman’s father alleged that around 10 people barged into their house early in the morning, carrying weapons such as swords and knives, and threatened to kill them.

He claimed the group tried to break open the door and threatened to burn the house with petrol.

He alleged that those who came included Sameer’s family members, who created a ruckus, accusing them of taking away their son.
“False claims are being made against us. We are now living in fear. We only want justice,” he said.

Sameer, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital, alleged, “They beat me mercilessly. They kept hitting me and took me away. They forced me to falsely say that I was involved in ‘love jihad’. I refused, and they assaulted me brutally.”

– Ends

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