Release Our 'Innocent' Relatives Or Won't Vote In Karnataka Polls: Kin Of Hubbali Violence Accused

Some of the families of the Hubbali violence accused who are still in jail claimed their children and relatives were 'innocent' and had "no role to play in the violence" adding they won't vote

Families of Hubbali violence accused have demanded to release their 'innocent' relatives or they won't vote in Karnataka poll. (Representational Image)

Source : PTI File Photo

Families of many of the accused in Hubbali violence that erupted last year have claimed that their relatives were “innocent” and insisted they were unable to go through the bail procedures since they are illiterate and that they would boycott the May 10 Assembly polls if the accused "who did nothing wrong" are not released.

89 people were arrested in April last year after a mob went on a rampage over a social media post that saw a police station and a Hanuman temple coming under attack. The violence was allegedly triggered following a social media post of a digitally altered image of a saffron flag flying over a mosque.

Subsequently, the person who made the post was arrested after a case was registered.

As per a report by PTI, some of the families of the accused who are still in jail claimed their children and relatives were 'innocent' and had "no role to play in the violence".

"Most of them who were arrested were picked up by the police randomly. We are illiterate. We do not know how to apply for bail or approach the court to get our children released," some of the residents said, quoted by the news agency. 

A resident of the Nava Ananad Nagar in Hubbali, Mumtaz’s son was among those arrested and currently lodged in Kalaburagi jail, said she couldn't meet him in the last year.

She claimed her son was not guilty and added she would not cast her vote until her ward is released from prison.

"My son used to drive an autorickshaw in Hubbali. The police arrested and took him to Kalaburagi jail and since then, I haven't heard his voice. It has been more than a year now. My son was innocent. I will not cast my vote until my son is released from jail," Mumtaz told the news agency.

"Three of my sons got arrested and one of them has been in jail for the last 11 months. My children were not guilty in this incident. I will not cast my vote until my son is freed," said another resident from the same area, Shamshad.

Batul, whose husband was arrested last year in connection with the violence, also claims he was innocent.

As per the report, the family members of the accused, those who are lodged in the jail had written a letter to their community leaders, urging them to convey their message to the Centre and release them at the earliest.

The claims come after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had dismissed the allegations that innocent people were being held in connection with the Hubballi violence and said arrests were made based on evidence.