9 held for girl's death in witchcraft

Koppal, Feb 18: Nine people have been arrested for the death of a five-year-old girl, who was used for witchcraft in the pursuit of a hidden treasure at Hosalli village in the taluk on Tuesday.

Fourteen people are involved in the case, including a sorcerer who is absconding, P Raja, district Superintendent of Police, said at a press conference.

It is said that one of the accused lured the girl, Gayatri, daughter of hotelier Sharanabasappa, with chocolates, on the night of January 26. A case was registered at Munirabad police station on January 28.

The girl was kept in the house of Mahendra Reddy, a worker in the farm of Shantilal, on the farm premises at Hosalli. Shantilal is a resident of Hosapete in Ballari district.

On the night of February 3, poojas were performed and the blood from Gayatri’s finger was poured as a sacrificial offering during the homa.

This was done to ‘appease’ two dead bodies said to have been buried on both sides of a treasure box, containing Rs eight crore, buried in the ground.

The girl died due to lack of proper food and care. The suspects dumped the body in the toilet of the house of Anita, a neighbour, so as to escape being caught.

The Superintendent of Police said that the exact cause of the girl’s death could be ascertained only after getting the post mortem report.

A car, mobile phone and various articles used for witchcraft have been recovered by the police from the suspects.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajeev led the operation to nab the suspects. Circle Inspector Satish Patel of the Rural police station, sub-inspectors Vishwanath and Anjaneya formed part of the team.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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