Hassan: Mystery of missing young woman solved, found staying with lover in lodge
Hassan: A case that had caused panic after a young woman went missing near Kalkere Lake in Belur taluk has ended on a positive note, with police tracing her in Kunigal along with her lover.
The missing woman has been identified as Priyanka (29) from Yaliyur in Kunigal taluk. Police found her staying in a lodge in Kunigal with a man identified as David, a native of Bihar, and have now closed the missing case.
According to police, Priyanka had left home saying she was going to attend a wedding in Chikkamagaluru. She went missing around 8 pm on February 12 from the Belur bus stand. Her family later filed a complaint with the police.
On February 14 morning, some clothes and personal belongings said to be hers were found near the banks of Kalkere Lake. This led to serious concern. As Priyanka was reportedly wearing gold jewellery worth around Rs 20 lakh, there were suspicions that she might have been killed and thrown into the lake.
Treating the case seriously, Belur police formed a special team and stepped up the investigation. Based on mobile location data and other technical inputs, they traced her to Kunigal, where she was found with her lover in a lodge.
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Activists write open letter to Odisha govt flagging anti-Christian violence
New Delhi: Activists and rights campaigners John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander have expressed serious concern over the alleged rise in violence and intimidation against Christians in several districts, accusing both Hindutva organisations and sections of the police of targeting the minority community.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the state administration, the signatories said they had received disturbing testimonies from affected people regarding social boycott, denial of burial rights, physical assaults and police intimidation.
According to the activists, Christians in some areas were allegedly boycotted by villagers, while people who traded with them, employed them or provided them shelter were also targeted.
The letter also highlighted what it described as “gruesome” incidents involving the prevention of burials of Christians within village burial grounds and even on privately owned lands belonging to Christian families. The activists said there were cases where bodies remained unburied for days due to opposition from local groups, while in some instances burials were allegedly forced to take place in forest areas outside village limits. Funeral prayers were also reportedly disrupted.
The signatories further alleged that in certain districts the violence escalated into physical assaults on Christians. They claimed that some victims were tied to trees and beaten, while others were allegedly placed inside sacks and assaulted. The letter also mentioned a few reported instances of sexual violence and attempts to burn people alive, which, according to them, were stopped at the last moment.
Expressing particular concern, the activists said many victims had testified that police personnel joined hands with Hindutva organisations to force Christians into signing “compromise” agreements. These agreements allegedly required them to give up their faith and stop collective worship.
The letter also accused the police of registering serious criminal cases against victims of attacks instead of taking action against the attackers. According to the signatories, many of those attacked were detained in police stations and jails, while in some cases the police themselves allegedly played a direct role in intimidation and violence against Christians.
Stating that there appeared to be a “complete breakdown in the constitutional machinery of the state” in relation to Christian minorities, the activists urged the administration to uphold and protect the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens without discrimination based on religion, caste or creed.
The letter was signed by John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander.
