Over 50,000 central forces for Karnataka polls

Bengaluru: Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that the Karnataka government has written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking the cancellation of the diplomatic passport held by absconding JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna. This follows an arrest warrant issued by a special court against the Hassan MP wanted in multiple rape and sexual harassment cases.

Speaking to reporters in the city, Parameshwara said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the cancellation of Prajwal's passport.

“But the department writing it, as per the law, is different,” the Home Minister said. “A warrant has been issued now (and) based on the warrant, a letter has been written, stating that a warrant has been issued and the diplomatic passport has to be cancelled.”

Parameshwara said that in case the ministry cancels the passport, it will be impossible for Prajwal to stay in a foreign country and he would be compelled to return.

"We have written to the Ministry of External Affairs as matters related to passports come under them, they will have to respond to it," he added.

Prajwal fled to Germany after the Phase II Lok Sabha polls in the state on April 26. A few days before the polls, explicit videos of women allegedly harassed and sexually assaulted by the MP were leaked and pen drives filled with the visuals were purportedly distributed in Hassan.

Prajwal is accused of raping two women. He is also accused in a separate sexual harassment case, where his father JD(S) MLA HD Revanna is the co-accused.

On Saturday, a Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant against the MP after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the Hassan sex abuse case moved an application.

Earlier the SIT had issued Look Out Circulars and a Blue Corner Notice, seeking the whereabouts of the MP, was also issued by Interpol in response to a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Mangaluru, May 20: In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a Class 3 girl student tragically lost her life due to the collapse of the compound wall of Harekala Hajabba Government Senior Primary School in Newpadpu, situated on the outskirts of the city, during the evening hours of Monday, May 20, following heavy rains.

The young victim, identified as Shazia Banu (7), was the cherished daughter of Siddique and Jamila, residing in Newpadpu. She met her untimely demise in the unfortunate accident.

Over the past two days, students from the National Service Scheme (NSS) at Mudipu Undergraduate College had been engaged in activities at the Harekala Hajabba School. 

Shazia, who lived in close proximity to the school, eagerly participated in these endeavours. Tragically, while playing near the school compound gate before returning home in the evening, the wall collapsed suddenly, fatally injuring her. Despite the prompt efforts of local residents to rescue her, Shazia succumbed to her injuries.

The incessant rainfall in Ullal taluk since the morning had significantly weakened the structural integrity of the compound wall, ultimately resulting in its collapse. Officials from the Harekala gram panchayat and the Konaje police promptly responded to the scene and have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Mangaluru, May 20: In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a young man ended his life by stepping in front of a speeding train at Kolakadi railway gate near Mulky, following the tragic suicide of his beloved girlfriend. This sorrowful incident unfolded on Sunday casting a pall of grief over their families and the community.

The Victims of Love

The deceased, Kartik Poojary, a 20-year-old mechanic, had returned to his home in Molottu on Saturday after working in Chitradurga. Kartik lived with his mother and grandmother in Molottu, and had recently started working at a relative’s garage.

Kartik’s heart belonged to his collage mate Sharanya, 19, daughter of Harish Kotyan. Their love, blooming in their teenage years, faced the stern disapproval of their parents due to their young age. Although their parents had reluctantly agreed to their union through a legal bond to marry once they reached the appropriate age, fate took a cruel turn.

The Cruel Twist of Fate

In a sudden decision, Sharanya's parents withdrew her from college and sent her away to Moodbidri. Overwhelmed by despair and separation, Sharanya ended her life by hanging herself at home while her family was away on Friday. Her death was a blow too harsh for Kartik to bear.

A Grief Too Heavy to Bear

Kartik, shattered by the news of Sharanya’s death, hurried back to his home in Molottu on Saturday. The following morning, with his mother away in Kerala on urgent business, Kartik's grief culminated in his tragic decision. He walked to the railway tracks at Kolakadi and succumbed to his sorrow under the wheels of a passing train.

The Aftermath

The Mulky police, led by Inspector Vidyadhar, arrived at the scene and registered a case. The community is left mourning the untimely deaths of two young lives intertwined by love and separated by an unkind twist of fate.