Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 31 (PTI): A Mangaluru court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2023 case involving the rape of a minor girl.

The Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-2) also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, identified as Mansoor alias Mohammad Mansoor alias Zabeer, a resident of Sajipanadu village in Bantwal taluk. He has additionally been sentenced to one year of imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 under IPC Section 506 for criminal intimidation.

The case was registered on December 23, 2023, at the Mangaluru Women’s Police Station, after the 16-year-old survivor alleged that the accused raped and threatened her on May 30, 2023, while also recording the assault on video. Charges were framed under the relevant sections of the POCSO Act and IPC.

After evading arrest for eight months, Mansoor was apprehended on July 2, 2024. Investigations were led by inspectors Gururaj and Rajendra B., who gathered supplementary evidence and filed the charge sheet within the prescribed time.

Delivering the verdict on July 30, 2025, Judge Manu K S convicted the accused after hearing arguments from Government Prosecutor Badrinath and Special Public Prosecutor Sahanadevi Boluru.

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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.