The family members of the minor girl who lodged a POCSO Act case against a bus conductor have announced that they are withdrawing the complaint, appealing for the cessation of the increasing tensions between Maharashtra and Karnataka. The family, through a video statement released on Monday, stated that they were concerned about the manner in which the incident has been incorrectly depicted as a linguistic issue.
Four individuals were detained for allegedly assaulting the conductor of the bus for not talking in Marathi with a passenger. Afterwards, the teenage girl complained that the conductor had acted inappropriately towards her, and the case was therefore registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The altercation occurred on Friday in Belagavi, a town near the Maharashtra border, and quickly became a contentious issue between the two states. The woman, mother of the girl featured in the video, clarified the incident, making it clear that the dispute was over an issue of ticketing and must not be seen as a clash between Kannada and Marathi speakers.
“We love our Kannada language and don’t discriminate against anyone. Untrue tales are being spun in the name of local languages,” she said, indicating that the family is hurt by the rift created by the controversy. “We don’t have a bias towards or against either language. We are proud Kannadigas, and our language may be Marathi,” said the mother.
The family once again expressed that they wanted to withdraw the case willingly, adding, “An injustice has been done to our daughter, but considering the circumstances, we are withdrawing the case. We request all people not to drag the matter anymore. We are under no external pressure.”
Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang confirmed that he had seen the video statement but noted that the family was yet to come to the police to withdraw the case officially. “They have to give their statement in the police station. There is a procedure to close a case, which will be followed once we receive their statement in a formal way,” he said.
In a related development, the police inspector of Marihal police station has been transferred following delays in acting on the complaint of sexual assault lodged by the bus conductor. A charge memo was issued to the inspector, asking him to explain the delay, and he was later moved to the Commissioner’s office.
Home Minister G Parameshwara responded to the turn of events in Bengaluru, stating, “I have requested confirmation of the reasons for the POCSO case. A report is being prepared to ascertain why the case was registered.” Regarding the inspector’s transfer, he stated that transfers are routine in the police department.
