K'taka court convicts three men for gangrape of foreign tourist, murder
Gangavathi (Karnataka) (PTI): A court in Koppal district has convicted all the three accused in the gang rape of two women, including a foreign national, and the killing of a male tourist near Hampi.
The court is scheduled to pronounce the sentence on February 16, after hearing the convicts, police sources said.
The incident occurred in March last year, near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal in Sanapura, close to world heritage site Hampi.
According to police, the three who had been convicted had approached the two women survivors, an Israeli tourist and a home stay operator, and three other male tourist friends on the night of March 6, 2025, demanding for money.
When the money was denied, the trio allegedly attacked by pushing three men tourists into the canal and sexually assaulted the two women -- Israeli tourist and the homestay operator.
Two men among those pushed into the canal had managed to swim to safety, while a tourist from Odisha had drowned in the canal.
The court on Friday convicted Mallesh, Sai and Sharanappa for offences, including murder, gang rape, rape, attempt to murder, and robbery, under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.
The accused were physically produced before the court, they said.
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Oracle lays off around 12,000 employees in India, another round likely within a month
New Delhi (PTI): US-based IT firm Oracle is believed to have laid off approximately 12,000 staff in India, with another round of layoffs expected within a month, impacted employees said on Tuesday.
Globally, the company has fired around 30,000 employees.
"In India, around 12,000 employees have been laid off. The company is planning another mass layoff within a month," said two people impacted by the retrenchment, including one from the company's human resource department.
The company has approximately 30,000 employees in India, including those affected by the layoffs.
Oracle declined to comment on the development.
Oracle, in an email sent to staff, said the employees were informed about certain organisational changes and "because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant".
The company has offered 15 days' salary to each employee who has completed a year of service in India, in addition to one month of unpaid wages till termination date, leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility and pay for a one-month notice period.
Oracle has also offered a two-month salary as a top-up.
However, the severance package is available for those who voluntarily and amicably resign from the company.
An ex-employee of Oracle, Merugu Sridhar, said that he was laid off in September for protesting against the 16-hour work shift that the company has in India.
"I contacted my friends and those who are in human resources. They shared that most of the Indians working in the US with the company have been impacted because the local laws there are very strict when it comes to the retrenchment of their citizens," Sridhar said.
