Mangaluru: Two sentenced to life for black magic murder of 3-year-old girl

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 1, 2016

Mangaluru, Apr 1: Nearly six years after a three-year-old girl was murdered in a black magic ritual in the city, a District and Sessions Court has sentenced an elderly man and his suspected foster daughter to life imprisonment.

blackmagic

Pronouncing the order Bhavani Nerale Veerabhadraiah, the judge of IV Additional District and Sessions court, Mangaluru, sentenced Kamalaksha Purusha (79) and Chandrakala (33), both residents of Kampadakody near Yeyyadi, here. The convicts were also sentenced to three years imprisonment for the offence of destroying evidence.

On December 17, 2010, the body of Priyanka, daughter of Firan Kumar Jha and Anjali Devi, a poor couple, was found with burns in the areca-nut garden of Kamalaksha Purusha at Yeyyadi. The girl had gone missing since December 16 afternoon from her parents' rented residence owned by Kamalaksha Purusha's brother.

Chandrakala had befriended Priyanka and used to take the girl to her residence in the neighbourhood frequently. Jha, a native of Madhubani district in Bihar, worked with an electronics retailer in Bengaluru for over two decades before being sent to the retailer's Mangaluru showroom.

After Chandrakala took Priyanka home in the afternoon of December 16, 2010, the girl did not return and a search launched by her parents was futile. The next day, the girl's body was found in the plantation of Kamalaksha Purusha. The post-mortem report said that the child was strangled to death after she had been doused with boiling water.

Though there was no eyewitness to the incident, neighbours told the police that the family of Kamalaksha Purusha was engaged in sorcery for materialistic gains. There were people who had seen Chandrakala taking the girl to her house, they said.

Prosecutors Harishchandra Udyawar and Pushparaj Adyantaya examined 18 witnesses during trial. While the then Mangaluru East Police Inspector Niranjan Urs initially investigated the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police Raveendra K. Gadadi filed the charge sheet before court.

Considering the circumstantial evidence, the judge convicted the two for offences under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destroying of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. While Kamalaksha Purusha was directed to pay fine of Rs. 60,000, Chandrakala was asked to pay Rs. 20,000 for the two offences.

A sum of Rs. 10,000 out of the total fine has to be paid to the government while the balance is to be paid to the deceased girl's parents. The court has also directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay compensation under the Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme to the parents.

The then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had released Rs. 2 lakh compensation to the family of Priyanka through the district administration.

Comments

Aakhash
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Instead of making un necessary issues like Bharath Maathaa Ki Jai., RSS should concentrate to address the people to come out from these types of ugly practice in the community.

Meenakshi Rao
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

This is ridiculous,..murderers should be murdered as same like they killed that innocent girl.

Karan
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

who knows this may not be the first time they killed, which has came to light.

Deepika
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Ghostly act by these two, dont want to c their face , coastaldiget please blur their face, felt like watching some horror movie.

Mohan
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Planet SKS land belongs to him, builder succeed.

Priyanka
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

syco path in mangalore, both should be hanged.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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