Man gets 20-year imprisonment for rape of minor in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 31 (PTI): A Mangaluru court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2023 case involving the rape of a minor girl.
The Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-2) also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, identified as Mansoor alias Mohammad Mansoor alias Zabeer, a resident of Sajipanadu village in Bantwal taluk. He has additionally been sentenced to one year of imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 under IPC Section 506 for criminal intimidation.
The case was registered on December 23, 2023, at the Mangaluru Women’s Police Station, after the 16-year-old survivor alleged that the accused raped and threatened her on May 30, 2023, while also recording the assault on video. Charges were framed under the relevant sections of the POCSO Act and IPC.
After evading arrest for eight months, Mansoor was apprehended on July 2, 2024. Investigations were led by inspectors Gururaj and Rajendra B., who gathered supplementary evidence and filed the charge sheet within the prescribed time.
Delivering the verdict on July 30, 2025, Judge Manu K S convicted the accused after hearing arguments from Government Prosecutor Badrinath and Special Public Prosecutor Sahanadevi Boluru.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
