Haveri, Jan 20 (IANS): In yet another incident of moral policing, an interfaith couple was beaten up by a group of nine people in Karnataka's Haveri district, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the incident took place in Byadagi town of the district on Friday. Seven persons have been arrested while the hunt for the remaining two accused is on following a complaint by the victims.

The arrested individuals were identified as Abdul Khader, Mansoor, Mehaboob Khan, Riyaz, Alfaz, Saleem Saab, and Mehaboob Ali. They have been sent to the judicial custody.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Haveri, Anshu Kumar, said that an interfaith couple was attacked by a moral policing gang of nine persons belonging to the minority community.

Seven of the accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, and the search is on for the other two accused.

The accused had targeted and attacked Ruksana and Jagadish, who were on a bike and talking to each other near the Shiva temple in the town.

The vigilantes asked the girl why she was talking to a Hindu and thrashed both of them. The police have initiated an investigation.

Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai had earlier claimed that common people, especially women, are "not able to move around freely without fear".

"The cases of rape, torture and violence have increased. The women are not feeling safe in rural areas as well... The police are mute spectators and if they initiate action as per law, they are facing the backlash from the government. Organized gangs are operating in Haveri district and there is no fear among them at all due to the appeasement policy of the Congress government," Bommai had said.