At a time when India is engulfed in election fever, the Neha Hiremath murder case has shocked the entire nation sparking a massive protest demanding capital punishment for Fayaz Khondunaik. For the unversed, 23-year-old Neha Hiremath, daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on April 18. CCTV footage showed Fayaz Khondunaik mercilessly stabbing Neha multiple times before fleeing the spot. He was arrested by police later. While many political parties have been outlining Neha Hiremath's murder case as Love Jihad, the accused family has refused such an angle in the shocking incident. Now, the question arises who is Fayaz Khondunaik, the man who killed Neha? Below is what we know about Fayaz Khondunaik so far-
Who is Fayaz Khondunaik?
As per reports, Fayaz Khondunaik was a former classmate of the deceased Neha Hiremath. Neha Hiremath was a first-year MCA student. Reports further suggest that Fayaz Khondunaik is a BCA Graduate in Computer Programming. Fayaz Khondunaik's mother's name is Mamtaz and is a teacher by profession. Notably, Mamtaz has supported the demand for the strictest punishment for his son Fayaz for killing Neha.
Mumtaz was quoted saying, "It is great injustice to Neha and her family.. What he has done is completely wrong. He has made us hang our head in shame. He had left home five days ago (April 13) saying he was fed up of sitting at home and would go find a job. I came to know about the murder after an acquaintance called asking me to switch on the television."
Notably, Mumtaz further claimed that Fayaz and Neha were in love. "It was not a one-sided love. He had told me that Neha was in love with him, and they were ready to get married, but I had told him to first focus on a career. My son is intelligent and was a university blue (an award of colours earned by athletes for competition at the highest level)."
It is pertinent to mention here that multiple reports suggest that Fayaz Khondunaik brutally stabbed to Neha after she refused to accept his proposal. Not only this, Fayaz CCTV video has also surfaced on social media in which Neha can be seen brutally stabbed in the college premises.
Fayaz's father name is Babasaheb Subani. Babasaheb Subani was quoted saying that Neha’s father had called him to tell that Fayaz was troubling his daughter. “However, Fayaz had told me that they were in love. He had subsequently quarreled with me, and stopped talking to me. Fayaz was living alone with his mother and away from his father.
It is pertinent to mention here that Neha's father Niranjan Hiremath had earlier said that she was just friends with the accused and the two "were not lovers". He also said that his daughter rejected the Fayaz's proposals and warned him that she would file a complaint if he did not stop.