Man brought from TN to Karnataka days after issuing death threat to HC judges over hijab verdict

A man from Tamil Nadu, who had allegedly issued death threats to the three Karnataka High Court judges, including the Chief Justice, following their verdict on the hijab issue, has been brought to the city by the state police for further investigation, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Tuesday.

Bengaluru: A man from Tamil Nadu, who had allegedly issued death threats to the three Karnataka High Court judges, including the Chief Justice, following their verdict on the hijab issue, has been brought to the city by the state police for further investigation, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Tuesday. Following the threat to judges, the Karnataka government has decided to provide 'Y category' security to all three judges.
"The person who issued death threats to sitting judges of Karnataka High Court, who delivered the verdict in the hijab case, has been brought to the state from Tamil Nadu by Karnataka police today after producing a body warrant. His name is Rahamathulla and he has been brought from Madurai," Jnanendra said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Karnataka government has taken the threat to judges seriously, as it amounts to challenging the system, and there is a need to suppress such elements. "Tamil Nadu police have extended cooperation. The Magistrate Court here has remanded him for eight days police custody," he said, adding that police will seriously investigate the case. An FIR was registered by Vidhana Soudha Police on Saturday against an unknown individual over a video clip circulating on social media platforms of a man speaking in Tamil and issuing death threats to the three judges.

According to official sources, Tamil Nadu police had arrested Rahamathulla, who is said to be an office-bearer of an organisation called Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaat (TNTJ), in Madurai on Saturday for allegedly issuing death threats to the judges. In a veiled threat, he had referred to a district judge in Jharkhand being mowed down by a vehicle during his morning walk last year, they said. A three-judge bench of the court consisting of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi had on March 15 dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim girl students, seeking permission to wear hijab inside the classroom.

PTI