A Muslim youth was beaten up on allegations of “love jihad” and handed over to the police, while his family members and girlfriends allegedly assaulted each other. Subsequently, members of Hindutva outfits staged a protest in Hubballi till late evening on Friday (April 3).
Sameer Mulla, a fitness trainer from Vijayanagar in Hubballi, was accused of exploiting a young Hindu girl and was beaten up on Friday by members of the SSK Samaj (Pattegar community), to which the girl belongs.
However, family members of the youth claimed that Mulla and the girl were in a relationship for the past three years and her parents were well aware of it.
On Friday, Sameer was allegedly taken out of his house by a group of people belonging to the SSK community along with members of Hindutva organisations, beaten up and then handed over to the police. Subsequently, they also organized a protest for his arrest. As the youth sustained injuries, he was admitted to KMCRI Hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, a video clip has surfaced in which the girl accused the youth of abusing her after he administered a sedative. However, the accused claims that the girl is innocent but her family and others forced her to accuse him.
The development led to tension around the Old Hubballi police station, where a large number of people, including Hindu activists, staged a protest demanding strict measures to curb the “menace of love jihad”, a charge denied by the youth’s family members who say they celebrate all Hindu festivals.
At least three complaints are likely to be filed in the case: one by the girl’s family, another by members of the SSK community and a third by the boy’s family. The complaint process continued till late evening, with senior officials including Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar personally monitoring the situation.
Published – 03 Apr 2026 20:29 IST
