Skeletal remains found at sixth marked spot: Case registered at Dharmasthala Police Station
Remains discovered at site previously identified by complainant in mass grave investigation
SIT to continue probe
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Belthangady: A case has been registered at the Dharmasthala Police Station following the discovery of skeletal remains at the sixth location identified by the complainant in the ongoing investigation into alleged mass burials related to past criminal activities in the region.
The skeletal remains were found on July 31 at the sixth marked spot, as indicated earlier by the complainant. Subsequently, SIT investigating officer, IPS officer Jitendra Kumar Dayama, filed a complaint at the Dharmasthala Police Station on August 1. Based on this, a UD (Unnatural Death) case has been registered.
Case transferred to SIT
The skeletal remains have been sent to a forensic laboratory for further examination. Meanwhile, the Dharmasthala Police have decided to hand over the case to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a more detailed investigation.
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Karnataka new excise policy: Local liquor to get costlier, premium may get cheaper
Bengaluru: The state government on Monday rolled out a new excise policy that shifts from the decades-old bulk litre-based system to a model based on alcohol content in beverages, Deccan Herald reported.
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to adopt this model. The change is expected to make lower-priced liquor costlier, while some premium brands may see a reduction in prices.
A senior Excise Department official said: “The policy is being implemented from today (May 11). The Karnataka Excise (Excise Duty and Charges) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified after a public consultation on a draft released on April 18, slashes the number of excise slabs from 16 to 8.”
Local liquor manufacturers have alleged that the policy favours multinational companies producing beer and spirits over domestic distilleries.
According to the Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association (KBDA), the first five slabs, which cater to the common man, house the maximum number of state-owned distilleries and contribute nearly 70-75% of the state’s excise revenue, have seen their Additional Excise Duty (AED) rise by 20-30%.
In contrast, slabs 6 to 8, which include products from multinational companies such as United Spirits, Bacardi, Heineken, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch, have seen AED reduced by 10-15%. The association said that while larger companies can absorb pricing shifts across their diverse portfolios, smaller regional distilleries limited to budget liquor may face volume contraction and potential closure.
A senior KBDA member said the price of a 180 ml bottle in the lowest slab, which was around Rs 63 last year, has already risen to Rs 80, and the new policy is set to push that price further to Rs 105 a jump driven by a 42.8% tax bracket.
