Mom, son die as house locked and set on fire; father injured in rescue bid

Bengaluru, Feb 22: A youth and his mother were burnt to death while the father suffered severe burns when he tried to save them after miscreants locked their house from outside and set it on fire at Manchanbele in Ramanagar district during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

The police suspect property dispute to be the reason behind the crime. Bharath (19) — a second year student of Rajarajeshwari Engineering College on Mysore Road — was burnt alive, while his mother Vijayalakshmi (45) succumbed to severe burns at Victoria Hospital.

Bharath's father Bomme Gowda alias Bhojanna (55), a farmer, suffered 30 per cent burns and is battling for life in a hospital, police said. Bharath's elder brother Anil Kumar, who works in Bescom, was away from home.

The police said that at about 12:30 am, while the family was asleep, miscreants locked the front and rear doors of the house from outside.

They poured petrol mixed with kerosene through the windows and torched the house. Bharath, who was sleeping in the drawing room, was the first to come in contact with the flames. Hearing Bharath's screams, Vijayalakshmi came out of the bedroom followed by her husband. Vijayalakshmi hugged her son in an attempt to save him. Bhojanna, too, tried to rescue his wife and son.

Hearing the commotion, the neighbours rushed out and noticed the house in flames and alerted the police.

The locals broke open the door and rescued the family members. The three were shifted to private hospitals. Bharath was declared brought dead.

Later, Vijayalakshmi was taken to Victoria hospital where she died in the afternoon. Bhojanna is in a critical condition at Abhay Hospital.

The Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire. A senior police officer said the preliminary investigation had indicated that the miscreants locked the doors of the house from outside and also used logs and rope to ensure that the inhabitants do not escape. They had even locked some of the houses in the immediate vicinity of Bhojanna's house.

The police suspect that family members of Bhojanna could be behind the well-planned incident. Bhojanna and his siblings were involved in a property dispute.

The suspicion was strengthened as none of Bhojanna's family members visited his house or the hospital, the officer said. The Tavarekere police have registered a case under IPC Sections 302 and 307 and are hunting for the culprits.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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