Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday said that the state government is considering handing over the investigation to National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case pertaining to death threats issued to the three Karnataka High Court judges who presided over the hearing in the Hijab matter. One of the main accused in the case, a Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath functionary, has been sent to 8 days of police custody for allegedly issuing the death threats.
Araga Jnanendra said the Karnataka government is taking the threats very seriously. He stated, “We are thinking of giving this case to the NIA and are taking note of other aspects related to the case. The government has taken it very seriously. It is not right to comment on and threaten the sitting judges.”
The Karnataka Home Minister further added, “The government has taken the threat to judges seriously, as it amounts to challenging the system. Magistrate Court here has remanded him for eight days of police custody. Bengaluru police will investigate the case.”
“As per my information, two persons have been taken into custody by the Tamil Nadu police,” the Karnataka Home Minister informed.
Post the threats, the three judges were provided with ‘Y’ category security.
The three judges, including Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, had struck down the various pleas challenging a ban on Hijab in educational institutions in the state. The bench had ruled that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.
