Karnataka Women's Commission seeks SIT probe into unnatural deaths, disappearances in Dharmasthala
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Women's Commission Chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe cases of disappearances, unnatural deaths, and sexual assaults in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district is a major pilgrimage centre, and Lord Manjunatha is the prime deity there.
Citing recent media reports and a statement made in court by an individual who claimed that "hundreds of bodies" had been buried in the area, Choudhary described the situation as "deeply alarming, which requires immediate and impartial investigation."
In a letter to the Chief Minister on Monday, Choudhary said, "The Commission has taken serious note of the reports aired by some media outlets on July 12, 2025, which included claims about the recovery of a human skull. Concerns were raised by the family of a missing medical student. These revelations point towards possible systematic abuse, murder, rape, and unexplained deaths involving women and students."
The chairperson further alleged that numerous families had approached the police in the past regarding missing persons, but many were met with indifference or inadequate response from the authorities.
"There are allegations that police personnel failed to act appropriately when families attempted to register complaints about missing women or unnatural deaths," she stated.
Given the grave nature of the allegations and the possibility of crimes left unaddressed, unresolved for a long time, the Women's Commission has urged the state government to establish an SIT led by senior police officers.
"We request the formation of a high-level SIT to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into all cases of missing women and students, unnatural deaths or murders, and sexual assault incidents reported in the Dharmasthala region over the past 20 years," Choudhary said.
The State Government is yet to respond to the Commission's appeal.
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SC seeks ED's response on journalist's bail plea in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file its response within three days on a bail plea of journalist Mahesh Langa in a money laundering case linked to an alleged financial fraud.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the jailed journalist, to file rejoinder, if needed, to the ED's response within two days of it being filed.
The top court fixed the case for further hearing on December 15.
During the brief hearing on Monday, Sibal said a journalist has been facing as many as six cases.
"The journalist is accused of extortion," the counsel for the ED said and sought a short adjournment on the ground that Solicitor General Tuhar Mehta was unavailable at the moment.
The top court on September 8 sought responses from the Gujarat government and the ED on Langa's bail plea.
While issuing the notices on Langa's bail plea, the bench asked, "What kind of a journalist is he?"
"With due respect, there are some very genuine journalists. But there are also people who on their scooter say we are 'patrakar' (journalists) and what they actually do everybody knows," the bench told Sibal.
Sibal replied that these are all allegations.
"In one FIR, he gets anticipatory bail, then a second FIR is lodged and again anticipatory bail is granted but now he is booked under a third FIR for income tax evasion. There are other things also against him," Sibal submitted.
He added that there is a background to the case also.
On July 31, the Gujarat High Court rejected Langa's bail plea in the money laundering case on the grounds that if released on bail, prejudice would be caused to the prosecution case.
On February 25, the ED said it arrested Langa in a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged financial fraud.
He was first arrested in October 2024 in a GST fraud case.
The money laundering case against Langa stems from two FIRs filed by Ahmedabad police on charges of fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating and causing wrongful loss of lakhs of rupees to certain people.
