Bengaluru: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an appeal in the High Court of Karnataka against the acquittal of the accused in the rape and murder of a 17-year-old student in Dharmasthala by a lower court in July this year.

Soujanya, a student of SDM College in Ujire near Dharmasthala, was murdered on October 9, 2012.

 

The CBI had taken over the investigation and filed a charge sheet in 2015. Santhosh Rao, who spent six years in jail as an undertrial was released following the special CBI court verdict. The appeal is yet to be listed before a HC bench for hearing. The CBI had 60 days to file the appeal.

Earlier in September, the HC had refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking reinvestigation in the case. The HC had observed while rejecting the PIL that appeal against the acquittal should be filed by the investigating agency or the parents of the victim. The petitioners were allowed to withdraw their PIL. The victim's father had also filed a petition before that in 2018 seeking reinvestigation which was rejected by the HC in 2021.

 

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.



Bengaluru: South Western Railway (SWR) is installing a network of 943 CCTV cameras having AI technology in 79 stations, entering into coordination with RailTel Corporation of India Limited.

According to a report by Deccan Herald, the CCTV cameras will be connected to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Command and Control Centre (CC Centre) in Hubballi to enhance passenger safety and also to keep vigil over the public movement in railway stations. The system helps the RPF staff in Hubballi to monitor the real time status of even smaller railway stations through the CCTV camera surveillance and alert local staff in case of any suspicious activities or safety concerns.

This is a major step of upgrade of security in the railway stations under the Hubballi Division of the SWR as only seven major stations in the Division were provided CCTV camera surveillance a few years ago. While the Hubballi Division has 123 stations, including halt stations, up to 79 stations will now be monitored through CCTV cameras.

Also, new buildings and better amenities have been provided to all important and small stations in Hubballi Division.

SWR officers have reportedly said that the camera installation work is completed, with more than half of the cameras already being connected to the CC Centre in Hubballi.

RPF Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Alok Kumar has said that smaller railway stations like Saunshi or Yalavigi too can be monitored through CCTV cameras at the CC Centre in Hubballi.

He explained that AI technology has enabled CCTV cameras that can recognize faces, count passengers, and also have colour scenes. In addition, they are equipped with video analytic facilities supporting greater efficiency in monitoring the movements of people and surveillance and security in these railway stations. The remaining railway stations will be connected with the CCTV cameras network in the next phase, he added.