Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated on Saturday that the murder of MCA student Neha Hiremath is not a case of "love jihad".

“I strongly condemn the act. The killer was arrested immediately. This is not a case of love jihad. The government will make sure that stringent punishment is given to the killer,” the Chief Minister told media persons in Mysuru.

He said that it is unfortunate to use one’s death for political reasons.

“The case is being politicised unnecessarily. The protests will not affect the government,” the Chief Minister said.

Neha, the daughter of a Congress corporator in Hubballi, was stabbed to death inside the college campus in Hubballi city by Fayaz Kondikoppa on Friday.

ALSO READ: Father of accused in murder of Karnataka college student calls for severe punishment for his son

However, other students caught Fayaz and handed him over to the police.

Meanwhile, the parents of Neha claimed that their daughter’s murder is a case of “love jihad”.

‘Love jihad’ refers to a bogus claim made by the Hindu right wing that Muslim men are ‘luring’ Hindu women into marriages to convert them to Islam.

Niranjan Hiremath, the father of Neha, has warned that his entire family will die by suicide if the investigation is misled and botched up.

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Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.

The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.

Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.

The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.

A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.

The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.

“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.

Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.

“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.

Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.