Child selling racket busted in Udupi, doctor among three arrested
Udupi (PTI): Udupi district police have arrested three persons, including a doctor, for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale of a newborn girl, officials said on Wednesday.
The case surfaced when a couple, identified as Prabhavati and Ramesh Moolya of Kallugudde in Kaup taluk, attempted to register a four-day-old infant at an anganwadi under the Poshan Tracker scheme, they said.
The anganwadi worker, suspecting irregularities, questioned the couple, who admitted that the child was not theirs, police said.
According to police, the baby, born on August 3 at a hospital in Mangaluru to an unmarried woman, was bought for Rs 4.5 lakh. The deal was facilitated through Prabhavati's cousin Priyanka, who was aware of the woman's delivery.
Following a complaint, Shirva police booked the case under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and that of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During investigation, police arrested Dr Somesh Solomon, Vijayalakshmi alias Vijaya, and Navneet Narayan. All three accused reportedly confessed to their involvement during interrogation. They were produced before court and sent to judicial custody, a senior police officer said.
Officials said further investigation is being carried out to identify other individuals who may be connected to the racket.
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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.
