Bantwal: Five students, who had gone to play in Netravati River, standed between rocks when they were unable to swim following the release of water from AMR Dam under the limits of Navur Gram Panchayat in the taluk on Wednesday.

A team of 11 students had gone to play in the river near Laxmi Vishnu Murthy Temple. Suddenly, AMR Dam near Shambhuru released water. Of 11, six students swam and reached the shore while remaining five could not swim and consequently struck between the rocks. The students from the shore tried to help them but in vain. Then a team of locals, with the help of a rope, rescued all the five students.

Bantwal rural SI Prasanna and constables visited the spot and carried out the investigation. It has been said that these students had come to participate in sports activities at SVS College. The AMR Dam has clarified that a siren was blown before the release of water.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.

Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.

As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.

The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.

Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.

A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.

The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.