Udupi, September 21: A three days 'Gonidhi' painting exhibition, organised by the Thrivarna Kala Kendra of Manipal in association with the district administration at RSB Bhavan at Manipal to collect donations for Kodagu disaster victims, was inaugurated on Friday. Mangaluru city corporation joint commissioner Gokuldas Karmath inaugurated the exhibition.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that it was the responsibility of every individual to respond to those who lost everything in the natural disaster. The general public need to join hands with the government. One cannot evaluate the paintings crafted by the children. In spite of it, the decision of the children to sell their paintings and donate the collected amount to the victims of the disaster victims which is appreciable, he said.

Madhava Kripa school principal Jessie Andrews, Udupi Chitrakala Mandir Director U.C Niranjan, Senior artist P.N Acharya and others were present.

Manipal Lions Club president Shruti Shenoy presided over the programme. Centre guide Harish Saga, Students Mythili G, Haritha Alapathi and Sushma were also present.

Total 39 paintings drawn by the students of Kundapura and Manipal centres displayed in the exhibition which will remain open till September 23.

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Coimbatore (PTI): The Coimbatore Mahila court on Tuesday held all nine men arrested in the sensational Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case as guilty.

Judge R. Nandhini Devi would pronounce the quantum of punishment later in the day.

All those facing the charges have been accused of criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, and extortion, in the series of incidents including blackmail that happened between 2016 and 2018. The victims were mostly college girls and the incident came to light after an affected student lodged a complaint with the police.

The incident caused an outrage in the state and even echoed in the state assembly. An audio clip of a purported victim also went viral, sending shock waves across the state.

While the local police initially probed the matter, it was later transferred to the CB-CID. In 2019, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The counsel representing the CBI said the agency had sought the "highest punishment" of lifer till death.

The CBI has sought compensation for the victim women.

Among the arrested is an expelled AIADMK functionary.