Mangaluru: 21-year-old rickshaw driver sentenced to 20 years’ RI for rape, impregnation of minor
Mangaluru: The Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced a youngster found guilty of raping and impregnating a minor girl after promising to marry her to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI).
Fast Track Special Court Judge Manu KS who heard the case on Tuesday sentenced the accused Nagaraj Shivappaduragannavar (21), a native of Bagalkot working as an auto rickshaw driver in Mangaluru.
The accused allegedly used to visit the girl at her house often as their mothers were associates. He is learned to have also taken the girl to his rented house in Attavar between February 25 and March 13, 2025, and raped her multiple times there, as a result of which, the girl turned pregnant.
A complaint was filed in this regard with the Women Police Station.
The judge sentenced Shivappaduragannavar to 20 years of RI under POCSO Act Section 6 along with a fine of Rs 40,000. If the accused fails to pay the fine, he would be required to undergo four additional months of imprisonment and, as per BNS Section 69, 5 years of imprisonment as well as pay a fine of Rs 10,000. The judge added that, in case the accused fails to pay the fine, he would be retained in prison for one month additionally.
He directed the District Legal Services Authority to hand over the fine amount paid by the accused along with Rs 6.5 lakh as relief to the victim.
Women Police Station officer Balakrishna HN investigated the case and submitted the charge-sheet before the court.
POCSO Special Government Prosecutor Sahana Devi Boloor represented the government in court.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
