Beware of social media manipulation: Mangaluru youth’s photo misused to trigger tension

Bengaluru: A 14-year-old girl was found allegedly murdered at her residence in Bengaluru South district, police said.

The girl, a sixth-grade student, had stayed home from school that day in Tavarekere town. Her parents, daily wage labourers from Koppal, were away at a construction site when the incident occurred, police added.

According to preliminary reports, unidentified individuals entered the house and attacked the girl with sharp weapons, inflicting multiple injuries. Her parents discovered her body upon returning home in the evening.

A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police suspect sexual assault based on the condition of the body, but said confirmation awaits the post-mortem report.

Superintendent of Police, Ramanagara, R Srinivas Gowda said the investigation is ongoing and more details will come to light after the post-mortem.

Bengaluru, July 8: A college student was kidnapped and brutally assaulted by a group of eight to ten attackers for allegedly sending obscene messages to his ex-girlfriend in Bengaluru. 

According to police, the incident took place on June 30 in Soladevanahalli, a locality in the Nelamangala taluk near Bengaluru.

The incident was captured on camera by one of the accused - who were allegedly inspired by the actor Darshan murder case in which a man was kidnapped and killed for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda.

The footage shows the attackers beating Kushal, stripping him, and hitting him on his private parts.

Officials said that Kushal was in a relationship with a college student for two years, but they broke up a few months ago. The girl later got into a relationship with another man. Angered by this, Kushal sent some obscene messages to the girl. In retaliation, the girl, her boyfriend, and his friends allegedly planned the attack, following which they called him at a location on the pretext of solving the issue.

However, the accused instead kidnapped him in a car, took him to a deserted spot near a lake, and assaulted him.

During the assault, one of the attackers referred to the Renukaswamy murder case, threatening the victim with similar consequences. They were also laughing while invoking the "inspired" murder case.
In the video, the accused were heard saying that he (victim) is Renukaswamy and they are accused number one, two and three.

The Soladevanahalli police registered a case and arrested all eight accused involved in the assault.

"We have arrested all the eight accused on charges of robbery and kidnapping," a police said.

Renukaswamy murder case

Renukaswamy's body, bearing multiple injuries, was discovered near a drain in Bengaluru's Sumanahalli. Investigations revealed that Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, had allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda. He was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and killed.

Initially, four individuals surrendered to the police claiming responsibility, citing a financial dispute. However, inconsistencies in their statements revealed a conspiracy involving Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others.

Actor Darshan was arrested on June 11 for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of 33-year-old Renukaswamy on June 8.

Shivamogga: Tension prevailed in the Bangarappa Layout area of Shivamogga's Raggigudda locality on Sunday after unidentified miscreants allegedly desecrated a Ganesha and Naga idols, police sources said.

They also said the Naga idol fell into the roadside drain.

According to the sources, the incident occurred in the Shantinagar ward of the district headquarters town of Shivamogga, where the idols had recently been installed on the main road of the Bangarappa Layout.

Residents of the area strongly condemned the act of vandalism and expressed anger over the alleged insult to the deities.

Senior police officers visited the spot and held discussions with the local community.

The officers told residents that a case has been registered and they promised strict action against the culprits.

Additional police forces have been deployed in the area, and tight security arrangements are in place to prevent any further disturbance.

The situation is currently under control, and police are continuing their investigation.

In a post on 'X', BJP state president Vijayendra alleged that after a brief pause in their acts of mischief in Shivamogga, anti-Hindu elements have once again resumed their wrongdoing.

Vijayendra, an MLA from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, said, In Raggigudda, miscreants desecrated the idols of Ganesha and Sheshanaga. He also said the idol was thrown into a drain.

Attacking the Congress government in the state, he said, "The @INCKarnataka government, which looks at Hindu organisations with a jaundiced eye, has always stood as a backbone to anti-Hindu forces. Especially in Shivamogga district, the excesses of miscreants have reached extreme levels," he alleged.