Dharmasthala Mass Burials: Witness returns to Netravati Snana Ghat, no police presence reported
Belthangady, July 16: In a fresh development in the Dharmasthala mass burials case, the witness who had earlier claimed in court to have buried multiple dead bodies in the temple town, reportedly returned to the vicinity of the Netravati Snana ghat on Wednesday along with his legal team.
According to sources, the witness arrived at the spot around 3 pm and stayed for nearly an hour before leaving by 4 pm. However, he and his lawyers remained inside the vehicle throughout and did not step out during their visit.
Despite this visit, no police officials were present at the location. It is also learned that neither the jurisdictional PSI nor the rural circle inspector, both of whom were stationed at the Dharmasthala Police Station since morning made their way to the Snana ghat during the visit.
This visit comes after the witness had earlier submitted a sworn statement before the Belthangady court on July 11, claiming to have buried multiple bodies under pressure in various parts of Dharmasthala. He had even brought a skeletal remain during his court appearance, which was handed over to the police and has since been sent for forensic analysis.
Interestingly, the witness and his lawyers did not visit the Dharmasthala Police Station on Wednesday despite being in the area.
Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police had clarified earlier in the day that there was no official plan scheduled by the police department for any exhumation or recovery of buried bodies on July 16.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
