"Will Make Bengaluru Safe For Women": Karnataka Minister On Hostel Murder

Cameras are installed in public places, there are women patrolling teams, security has been stepped up, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara listed off measures taken in the wake of a woman's murder at a hostel in capital Bengaluru that has sent shock waves across the city.

Last week, a man, armed with a knife, entered a paying guest (PG) accommodation in the city's bustling Koramangala neighbourhood and slit a 24-year-old's throat. The victim, Kriti Kumari, was from Bihar.

The man, who was arrested from Madhya Pradesh, is the boyfriend of Ms Kumari's roommate at the hostel, say sources. Both the accused and the roommate used to fight over him being unemployed. Ms Kumari allegedly advised her roommate to distance herself from the man. This provoked the man which led him to kill Ms Kumari, sources said.

"After the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, the government of India also brought out a new programme and gave huge money to all states. We received some 650 crores and we have been spending that money. And we installed nearly 7,000 cameras in the city. And we are monitoring in public and we have also started a women patrolling team. We have recruited women in large numbers - it has gone up to 20%," Mr Parameshwara told NDTV.

"The other day, at one paying guest facility, one fellow who had an affair with a woman, entered the building and killed another person who happens to be the friend of the girl. So these kind of things are very, very difficult for us to monitor. Yet we try to monitor the security facility in those PGs. But it is a challenge," Mr Parameshwara said.

The Minister said the government is comprehensively looking at women safety in Bengaluru, adding that a lot of these incidents are either domestic in nature or some love affair.

Asked how he plans to tamp down the fear factor in the wake of the gruesome murder, the Minister said, "It is a one-off incident. It doesn't happen every day. Whenever such a thing happens, we do tighten up the system. Have asked our commissioner to look into security aspects at these PGs. Particularly where women are staying. We are checking whether the security is certified. After this incident I had a review of the system. But that's not the end of it. This has to be monitored continuously."

The Minister further explained that he had a meeting with women non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and has taken suggestions from them.

Bengaluru has recorded a 23.9% increase in crimes against women in 2023.

"We need all out efforts. The challenges are there. Bengaluru is growing. Everybody from all over the country are coming and leaving. We don't differentiate. We try and see that Bengaluru is a safe city. I am confident that we will make Bengaluru a safe city for women," the Minister stressed.