Activist Girish Mattannavar booked in two new cases over social media posts on Dharmasthala case
Belthangady: Police in Belthangady have registered two fresh cases against activist Girish Mattannavar over alleged inflammatory social media content linked to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, according to a report published by The Hindu.
The first complaint was filed by K.R. Praveen, who alleged that on August 30 he watched a YouTube video showing Mattannavar alongside Madan Bugadi, identified by him as an officer of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In the video, Praveen claimed, Mattannavar made statements that disturbed public peace and provoked communal tension. He also accused Mattannavar and fellow activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi of bringing supporters and bloggers to Dharmasthala and spreading misinformation online.
Based on this complaint, police booked Mattannavar and Thimarodi under Sections 204, 319(2), and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The second case was lodged on September 1 by Dharmasthala resident D. Rajendra Das, who alleged that Mattannavar appeared in another YouTube video, published on the Janata News channel, where he spoke in a manner described as undignified and disturbing. This complaint led to a case under Section 296 of the BNS.
Both activists are already facing multiple cases registered earlier. On August 6, Belthangady police booked them for allegedly assaulting a Suvarna News reporter and for unlawful assembly outside a private hospital in Ujire. Additionally, Mattannavar has been charged in a separate case for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Jain community.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
