Karkala: Udupi Superintendent of Police Dr. K Arun has informed that two men accused of kidnapping and raping a girl in the Karkala Town Police jurisdiction on Friday evening have been arrested.

The district police have also confiscated two vehicles used by the arrested duo, identified as Altaf and Sudheer, during the crime.

The SP informed that the police received a complaint stating that the victim, a resident of the Kukkundoor Gram Panchayat area, had come into contact with Altaf, a resident of Joduraste in Karkala, through a social media site three months ago. On Friday, Altaf called the victim and suggested they meet at a specific location. However, when the girl arrived, he abducted her.

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The police officer further informed that the victim alleged that Altaf had raped her after forcing her to consume a drink laced with an intoxicant. Altaf then dropped the girl near her home in his car after committing the crime.

Based on the victim’s complaint, both Altaf and Sudheer, who is believed to have provided the drink at the crime scene, were arrested by the police, Dr. Arun stated.

As the rape victim was in critical condition, she was transferred from Karkala Hospital to Manipal Hospital. The Superintendent of Police further stated that the legal process concerning the case will be completed at the earliest and action will be taken against those found guilty.

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Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.

This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.

Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.

There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.

This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.

However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.

His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.

The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.