Mangaluru: Mangaluru city police have arrested three people on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl in Ullal police station limits in Dakshina Kannada district.

City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar told reporters here that two accused were from the city and another man was from Kasaragod in Kerala.

The arrest was made after the victim’s mother filed a complaint with the police alleging that the girl was sexually assaulted after giving sedatives and alcohol at an apartment in Mudipu near here.

The victim has been handed over to a counselling centre, the commissioner said.

One of the accused in the sexual assault case is also accused in another POCSO case in Chilimbigudde in Bajpe station limits. He has seven cases registered against him including two POSCO cases, robbery and under NDPS act, he said.

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Tuesday logged 263 new cases of COVID-19 and 7 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 30,00,934 and death toll to 38,275, the health department said.

The day also saw 327 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,55,465.

Of the new cases, 158 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 182 discharges and 1 death.

Total number of active cases in the state is at 7,165.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.36 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 2.66 per cent.

Of the deaths reported on Tuesday, 2 are from Chikkamagaluru and one each from Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi, Bidar, Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada.

Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru recorded the second highest of 16 fresh cases, Kodagu 14, Dakshina Kannada 13, Chikkamagaluru 11, followed by others.

Bengaluru Urban district has now a total of 12,59,183 positive cases, Mysuru 1,80,075 and Tumakuru 1,21,216.

Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban is on top with 12,37,306, followed by Mysuru 1,77,437 and Tumakuru 1,19,949, according to a department bulletin.

Cumulatively a total of 5,47,27,172 samples have been tested in the state so far, of which 71,308 were tested on Tuesday alone.

New Delhi: A loader of IndiGo fell asleep in the cargo compartment of the airline’s Mumbai-Abu Dhabi flight, but was found safe on arrival in the capital city of the UAE, officials of aviation regulator DGCA said on Tuesday.

After the loading of baggage in the aircraft, one of the loaders of the private carrier fell asleep behind the baggage in the cargo compartment on Sunday’s flight, they said.

The cargo door was closed and the loader woke up as the aircraft took off from the Mumbai airport, the officials informed.

After the aircraft landed in the capital city of the United Arab emirates (UAE), a medical examination of the loader was conducted by Abu Dhabi authorities and his physical condition was found to be stable and normal, they said.

After getting the requisite clearances from the authorities in Abu Dhabi, he was sent back to Mumbai as a passenger on the same aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials said.

The personnel of the airline involved in the incident have been off-rostered pending an investigation, they added.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday said that an election petition cannot be thrown out at the threshold on a plea of the elected candidate that the petition is not supported by an affidavit, as prescribed under Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

A bench comprising justices S K Kaul and M M Sundresh set aside an order of the Karnataka High Court dismissing an election petition against Prajwal Revanna’s win from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.

BJP candidate A Manju had challenged the election of Revanna on the grounds that there was allegedly non-disclosure of assets held by him in his election affidavit.

The question for consideration before the apex court was whether an election petition can be thrown out at the threshold on a plea of the respondent/elected candidate that the petition is not supported by an affidavit in Form 25, as prescribed under Rule 94A of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, even though the petition is based on allegations of corrupt practices.

“We are not persuaded to agree with the conclusion arrived at by the High Court that the non-submission of Form 25 would lead to the dismissal of the election petition,” the bench said.

The top court said if we look at the election petition, the prayer clause is followed by a verification.

“There is also a verifying affidavit in support of the election petition. Thus, factually it would not be appropriate to say that there is no affidavit in support of the petition, albeit not in Form 25.

“This was a curable defect and the learned Judge trying the election petition ought to have granted an opportunity to the appellant to file an affidavit in support of the petition in Form 25 in addition to the already existing affidavit filed with the election petition,” the bench said.

The bench granted liberty to Manju to file an appropriate affidavit in Form 25 within 15 days from today.

“The further proceedings in the election petition are required to be taken up urgently as almost two and a half years have gone on the preliminary skirmishes rather than the meat of the matter, which we are sure the single Judge of the High Court would so do,” the bench said.

The appeal filed by Manju said that Prajwal had resorted to unfair and corrupt practices and his election should be set aside.

Prajwal was declared the winner with 6,76,606 votes. Manju came as a first runner up with 5,35,282 votes.

Belagavi: Karnataka Energy Minister Sunil Kumar on Monday stated that the no electricity bills of any places of worship will be waived off.

The minister was answering a question posed by BJP leader Munirajugouda during the Question and Answer session in the assembly on Monday.

“Electricity bills of several places of worships of all religions are pending. But there is no proposal before the government to waive off any of those bills,” he said.

“Because of the COVID, we have extended time for the payment of these bills. We have also announced certain concessions. But there is no point of waiving off the bills,” he added while stating that legal action will be taken against those places of worship who have acquired illegal electricity connections in their premises.

Belagavi: Even as the BJP government in Karnataka prepares to table the anti-conversion Bill during the ongoing winter session of legislature, state’s Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar on Monday said that a law prohibiting ‘love jihad’ will also be introduced in the days to come.

“Some organisations publicly claim that they don’t indulge in religious conversion and it is not their intention, then why are they opposed to anti-conversion law? On one side they say they don’t do such things and on the other side they oppose (the bill), they have ambiguity, not us,” Kumar said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the winter session of Karnataka legislature that began today in this border district, he said, “We had been stating from the beginning that the BJP government will bring in anti-cow slaughter and anti-conversion law, we are committed to it. I will go a step ahead and say that in the days to come we will bring a law against love jihad.”

The government had earlier enacted the anti-cow slaughter law in the state; it is now preparing to table the anti-conversion Bill during the ongoing winter session.

Regarding a law against ‘love jihad’, the government had earlier this year said that officials have been directed to gather information on an ordinance promulgated in Uttar Pradesh in this regard.

Defending the proposed anti-conversion Bill, the Minister said, religious conversions are taking place in a big way targeting poor and weaker sections, either by force or through inducements, and hence it was considered necessary to bring in a law to stop such activities.

“Let Congress say, as to why they are opposed to it, we are ready to debate and respond,” he said, adding that the proposed bill is keeping in mind the entire society and not targeted at any particular religion or community.

Belagavi: Former Chief Minister, Leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah said, “The Anti-conversion law is not required now. Attempt to implement this law is being done to target one community. This is being done to needlessly harass them. The BJP has come forward to table this bill out political ill-will”, he said. 

Speaking to the media at Belagavi on Monday, Siddaramaiah said, “They are trying to enforce the Anti-Conversion law to subvert the attention from real issues and obtain publicity”, he accused.

“Instead of taking action to provide relief to victims of rain damage and natural disasters, through the Anti-Conversion law the government is trying to divert public attention from real problems”, Siddaramaiah said.

“We will oppose their attempts to table the Anti-Conversion bill”, Siddaramaiah clarified.

Pramesh S Jain

The High grounds police have arrested a group of four persons including two lab employees who helped Omicron infected a South African national to escape from a star hotel where he was quarantined .

The accused have been identified as Ranesh and Ravindra,techies with an IT firm in Bommanahalli where the accused South African was working and the two lab employees Manoj and Prashanth.

Senior officer told media persons based on a complaint filed by the BBMP health officials the high grounds police swung into action and based on technical inputs and technical evidence the team arrested four persons two are lab technician and two are IT firm employees.

During investigation it was found that accused  South-African national,who had tested covid  positive after he landed in the airport on November 20 following which the authorities directed him to get quarantined at Shangri-La hotel on palace road until further orders.

The accused using his employees Ranesh and Ravindra obtained a fake covid negative report from the lab situated on old airport road,submitted the same to check out from the hotel on November 27  . 

He later used the same report and left to his country via Dubai .

THe BBMP officials who got to know about this lodged a complaint with the High grounds police against him and the hotel management for failing to inform the BBMP about the check out and also under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act.

As the accused and the hotel management allegedly violated the COVID-19 guidelines,Dr. Naveen Kumar M,the Medical Officer of Health of the BBMP East Division,filed a complaint with the High Grounds police on Sunday. Based on the complaint, the police have registered an FIR under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule), and other sections of the IPC and the provisions of the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020.

We are now probing further the possibility of the lab being issued similar negative certificates to any other in the recent past and further investigation is on.

Pramesh S Jain

A 35 year old Nigerian National was stabbed to death by a gang of three over drunken brawl in Banaswadi on Sunday night.

The police arrested the accused few hours after the incident came to light.

The deceased has been identified as Victor P, hails from South Africa and the accused are Arun,Philip and Neelakantan,residents of Kammanahalli.

Senior officer told media persons a murder case was reported on Sunday in which unknown miscreants stabbed a African National over trivial row and fled the spot after stabbing him to death.

As soon as the murder took place Banaswadi police inspector, Santhosh Kumar L with crime staff and senior officers as,DCP,East Dr SD Sharanappa ACP Banaswadi Sub-Division Ningappa B Sakkiri and other officers rushed to spot.

Dog squad and finger print experts were pressed into action to collect the evidence from the crime scene.

After inspecting the spot DCP East, Dr SD Sharanappa led a special team under the leadership of ACP, Ningappa B Sakkiri a team headed by PI, Santhosh Kumar L and his crime staff swung into action and started the investigation during investigating the team got the identity of the accused with the help of technical inputs.

Based on the technology skill the team zeroed in on three persons in few hours after the incident of crime reported.

During investigation it was found that the incident took place around 9.30pm when Victor had come to a shop at Kullappa Circle and had picked up a quarrel with the gang who were under the influence of alcohol.

In a fit of rage they stabbed Victor and fled the scene.The passersby noticed Victor lying in a pool of blood and shifted him to nearby hospital where he succumbed.

The Banasawadi police swung into action and arrested the accused based on technical evidence gathered from in and around the area.

Initially locals and African Nationals said that the accused are also African.But based on scientific investigation by the team the accused were zeroed in.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP East,S Murugan, DCP East,Dr SD Sharanappa,ACP Banaswadi Sub-Division,Ningappa B Sakkiri,PI,Santhosh Kumar L and his whole crime staff who has detected the murder case within few hours of the incident reported and for the tirelessly work and using technology skills the team nabbed a three member gang and detected the case and for the exemplary and meticulous investigation done by them a suitable reward will be given to the team he added.

Pramesh S Jain

A 25-year-old woman and her male friend ended life by hanging from a tree in the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

The deceased have been identified as Pushpalatha from Dasegoudanapalya and  Mohan Kumar, 24 from Magadi .

Senior officers visited the spot and after inspecting the spot they said that the, Pushpalatha was married recently but separated from husband and came to live with her parents.

Mohan Kumar who was also married and worked in a chicken stall had an affair and the duo used to meet regularly .

On Sunday during one of the meetings the duo had an argument following which Pushpalatha hanged to a tree with a rope.Mohan Kumar who noticed this also hanged to the same tree .

The incident came to light when a few passersby noticed the bodies hanging from a tree and alerted Kudur police.

The kudur police have taken up a case of unnatural death and are awaiting a post mortem report to ascertain the cause of death .