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Mandya: An eight-year-old girl has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by two boys inside the washroom of her school in Mandya district of Karnataka, police said on Monday.

The incident was alleged to have occurred on January 31. However, the complaint came to light on Sunday when the girl's mother approached the police, they said.

Citing her statement, a senior police officer said that the class two student of a government school has alleged that two boys allegedly took her to the washroom where they threatened her to remove clothes and thereafter thrashed her with a stick. They also beat her on her private parts.

One of the boys she identified is her classmate while another is from a higher class, he said.

The girl alleged that the accused students threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone but later she confided in her mother, he added.

Based on the statement of the girl, a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act against the two boys and an investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events and verify facts, said Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi.

As part of the investigation, police are also reviewing the CCTV footage from the school premises.
However, the medical examination report of the girl did not reveal any such injury on private parts, police said, adding that statements of the boys will be recorded and further action will be taken accordingly.

"We are currently investigating the case and are verifying details given by the girl in her statement. There are some inconsistencies in her account," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP State President B Y Vijayendra condemned the incident on social media platform X alleging that law and order in the state had completely deteriorated with cases of rape of minors, assault on women and daylight robberies being reported in the state.

He demanded that strict action be taken against the perpetrators.

British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta says Israeli authorities considered the destruction of medical facilities and the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip as preliminary preparation for a plan of genocide in the besieged coastal territory.

Israel “placed the destruction of the healthcare system in Palestine at the core of its military doctrine from the beginning, in order to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable,” he said.

Abu Sitta stated that the occupying Israeli regime launched its onslaught against the Gaza Strip with a plan to destroy the entire healthcare system and its various components.

He added that “Israel did not only target buildings but also destroyed 33 out of 36 hospitals that were providing services throughout the region.”

The British-Palestinian surgeon continued that “Israel killed a thousand healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and lab technicians to eliminate an entire generation of healthcare professionals.”

The doctor explained that the Israeli military destroyed the Gaza healthcare system by demolishing water treatment and sewage facilities. Additionally, it destroyed the homes of residents, leaving people more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Abu Sittah emphasized that Israel considers the destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza as a precursor to the genocide project.

 “I do not know of any war in modern history where the systematic destruction of the healthcare system was central to the doctrine of the warring armies, but the destruction of the healthcare system played a pivotal role in disrupting life in Gaza from Israel’s perspective,” he stated.

The British-Palestinian doctor underlined the need to prosecute Israeli officials, soldiers, and politicians in The Hague for their destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza.

“Otherwise, every future war will follow the model of Gaza, as the destruction of the healthcare system played a central role in the management of the war,” Abu Sittah pointed out.

He stated that Interpol should issue arrest warrants against Israeli soldiers, leaders, and politicians, stressing that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should adopt the same measure.

The British-Palestinian surgeon emphasized that world countries, especially in the West, should arrest Israeli soldiers and politicians once they travel there.

Mysuru: On Monday night, tensions escalated in front of Mysuru's Udayagiri Police Station as thousands gathered to protest a controversial social media post. The post, which critics say portrayed Muslims negatively, featured images resembling political figures Rahul Gandhi, Aravind Kejriwal, and Akhilesh Yadav, and was titled "three idiots." The post also showed a person performing namaz with Arabic script prominently displayed, further intensifying the allegations of communal insensitivity.

Protesters blocked Mahadevapura Main Road and, at times, resorted to stone pelting directed at the police station, police vehicles, and public property. In response, law enforcement used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The ensuing clashes resulted in injuries to several people, including both protestors and police personnel.

By Tuesday morning, normalcy had largely returned. Senior officials—including ADGP R. Hitendra, Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, and DCPs M. Muthuraj and S. Janhnavi—visited the police station to review the situation. Security was significantly increased around the area, and civic workers from the Mysuru City Corporation cleared stones and debris left behind by the demonstrators.

Police have initiated a suo moto case and arrested 32-year-old Suresh, a resident of Kalyangiri Nagar, in connection with the incident. The unrest not only disrupted pedestrian movement but also significantly hampered traffic on Mahadevapura Main Road and its intersections, with city buses bearing the brunt of the blockade.

Despite initial dispersal following police action, the mob reconvened within minutes. It was only around midnight, after assurances from senior police officials—including DCP Muthuraj—that strict action would be taken against those responsible, that the protesters finally dispersed.

Speaking to media on Tuesday morning, ADGP R. Hitendra confirmed that seven police personnel were injured during the stone pelting and announced that a special team had been formed to identify and apprehend the instigators. “The mob was misled by certain individuals who believed that the accused, who shared the derogatory post, would be let off. We will probe thoroughly to determine who is behind this incident,” he stated.