Overview
- Sujatha (Sujatha/Vijayalakshmi) Handi alleges police stripped and beat her during a Jan. 5 detention in Hubballi, with video of the episode circulating widely on Jan. 7.
- Hubballi–Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar says she removed her own clothes inside the vehicle while resisting arrest and biting officers, and he denies any police misconduct.
- Police state she has about nine cases pending, including an IPC Section 307 attempt-to-murder case based on a complaint by local resident Prashanth Bommajji, and they have filed counter-cases over the scuffle.
- The arrest stems from tensions during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls following a complaint by Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla over alleged voter deletions.
- BJP leaders demanded action against officers, rights advocates questioned police handling, and the Karnataka State Commission for Women said officers arranged clothes for her and has requested a detailed inquiry report.