Sringeri: Religious flag on Shankaracharya Statue; Accused Milind arrested
Sringeri: Police on Friday arrested one person for putting a religious banner near the statue of Shankaracharya here on Thursday, an incident that had triggered protests by BJP and other right-wing organizations.
The arrested accused has been identified as Milind, son of Manohar.
Tension had prevailed in the region on Thursday after a banner with religious content was found on the statue. The BJP and other organisations, while protesting against the incident had called for immediate arrest of the culprits.
Superintendent of Police Hakay Akshay Machindra on Friday in a press conference played down the claims and allegations that it was a pre-planned incident and was carried with any motives. He asserted that the arrested accused was under the influence of alcohol. He said the accused was presented before the court.
“On Wednesday night, Milind drunk at a bar and then headed near Jamia Masjid in the city and tried to sleep there. He then decided not to sleep near the Masjid and moved from there while also taking a banner from near the Masjid to cover himself as it was raining that night. He came near Veerappa Gowda circle with the banner and dropped it near the statue of Shankaracharya and slept at the lorry yard” the SP said in the press conference adding that Milind had visited local government hospital on Thursday morning complaining of headache.
“He was identified after checking the CCTV footages of Masjid and the bar. He has confessed to the crime and has added that he had done it under the influence of alcohol. No involvement of any organisation, party was found in the incident and the accused is not a member of any party or organisation” he further said.
On Thursday, after the incident, former minister Jeevaraj had alleged involvement of PFI and SDPI members in the incident.
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Udupi: Two men from Belthangady awarded life imprisonment for attempt to murder a woman in 2022
Udupi: Two men from Belthangady have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Udupi for attempting to murder a woman in Manchikumeri in 2022.
The sentenced men, Mithun and Nagesh Poojary, are learned to have attempted to murder Sumathi, wife of Ramanath Rai, a resident of Manchikumeri, who had a Nandini Milk Parlour at Tiger Circle, Manipal.
On February 18, 2022, Sumathi was reportedly alone at home when, at around 7 pm, Mithun, learned to be her nephew, and his friend Poojary came to the house. As Sumathi opened the door, the duo barged in and tried to strangulate her with an intention of murdering her. Sumathi reportedly lost consciousness under the attack.
The men packed her body in a sack and were then putting the sack into a suitcase to carry the body out, when they noticed that Rai and neighbours had arrived. They are learned to have opened the door when Rai knocked the door and then tried to escape. They were, however, caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police.
Further, Sumathi was found by the group in an unconscious state inside the suitcase in the house. She was rushed to the Manipal Hospital and learned to have recovered after a week of medical treatment.
A case had been registered at the Manipal Police Station.
The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court judge Kiran S Gangannavar, who heard the case, has declared both Mithun and Poojary guilty in the case. He has awarded them life imprisonment, fined them Rs 20,000 each and, under Column 325, sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of 5 years and fined them Rs 5,000 each.
Judge Gangannavar has directed that, of the fine, Rs 45,000 be handed to the attack victim Sumathi as relief.
Jayarama Shetty represented the government as Public Prosecutor.
