Govt proposes to develop villages near Kaiga nuclear plant

January 27, 2012

Karwar, January 27: The Karnataka government has prepared a proposal for upgrading the infrastructure facilities in villages close to the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Uttar Kannada district. The Karnataka government has informed the NDMA about its proposal.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a unit under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, had carried out mock exercises in association with different state governments at all nuclear installations to assess the preparedness of various agencies in the event of nuclear disaster.

After the mock exercise, the NDMA had instructed all states to prepare development plans in villages falling under the emergency planning zone of the nuclear plants.

Responding to this, the Karnataka government had intimated the Disaster Management Authority that it has prepared a proposal on upgrading infrastructure around Kaiga nuclear plant.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with a delegation led by Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yachury, the NDMA vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy said that his organisation will ensure that people living close to nuclear plants get better infrastructure including healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities.

In response to the delegation's request to rehabilitate the residents of five villages falling within five km radius of Kaiga plant, Reddy explained that people living only in the 1.6 km sterile zone have been rehabilitated, while in the exclusion zone covering five km radius, residents were not rehabilitated.

Reddy also promised that he would take up the issue with the Planning Commission to ensure that separate funds are earmarked for the development of villages close to the nuclear plant, said a statement from the Authority.

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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