Kasaragod (Kerala), Nov 12: Hands of the couple that received a tiny cardboard box from a Kasargod court trembled with emotions and their eyes welled up. Because the box contained portions of the skull of their beloved daughter murdered 18 years ago in Goa, when she was just 13.

According to police, 13-year-old Sofia was killed in December 2006 in Goa while she was serving as a maid in the house of K C Hamsa, a contractor from Kasargod. She allegedly suffered severe burns in the kitchen and Hamsa, out of fear of punishment, killed the girl and chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in an under-construction dam site in Goa, they said. The mortal remains were recovered in 2008. Though the accused was arrested later and a local court sentenced him to death in 2015, the Kerala High Court commuted his punishment into life imprisonment in 2019.

Despite court punishing the accused, parents couldn't find peace as they thought their daughter deserved a formal, respectful send off, at least. The family of the girl, hailing from Coorg in neighbouring Karnataka wanted the court to handover the mortal remains of their daughter, so that they could perform last rites according to their religious customs.

The Principal Sessions Court here accepted their request and handed them over the skull of the girl on Monday. Besides her mother Ayesha and father Moithu, people from Aiyangeri in Coorg, a few close relatives of the deceased girl were also reportedly present when the skull was handed over by the court. The mortal remains were taken to their native place and buried in a local masjid there on Monday night itself, family sources said.

The skull and fragments of bones, which were recovered from an isolated place some time after the death of the girl, became evidence in the case of murder of the teenage girl.

After helping solve the case of gruesome murder the mortal remains made a last, sober travel to 'its homeland' in an attempt to bring some peace to the loved ones of the girl.

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Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said there was a demand for four per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders, but no decision has been taken yet on it.

Prominent Muslim leaders, including Karnataka Minister for Municipal Administration and Hajj, Rahim Khan, Congress MLAs and MLCs wrote to the chief minister on August 24 demanding to consider giving four per cent reservation to socially and economically backward Muslims in government contracts. The chief minister wrote on the petition on August 31 that the file should be put up, sources said.

"There was a demand for four per cent reservation, but we have not taken any decision yet," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

When asked about the BJP raking up this issue, he said, "The BJP wants to communalise everything. Their job is to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims. Did they ever wish peace in society?"

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra termed the purported move unhealthy.

"In a bid to woo the Muslim community, the @INCKarnataka government is going to give reservation in contracts as well, which will damage the health of a harmonious society," he said in a post on ‘X’.

He said it had become inevitable to protest against such stances of the Congress government.

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged in his post on social media 'X' saying what seemed like "shameless appeasement politics" to be a "cover for Congress corruption machine".