Mangaluru: Neglecting voting is insult of Constitution, says District Judge Mallikarjuna HS
Mangaluru: Voting is not just a right but a duty, and neglecting it is an act of disrespect towards the Constitution, said District and Sessions Court Judge Mallikarjuna HS. He was speaking at the 15th National Voters’ Day programme organized by the Dakshina Kannada District Administration and the District Legal Services Authority at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in Mangaluru on Saturday.
The judge highlighted that India had around 98 crore registered voters for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the number has now crossed the 100-crore mark. However, he pointed out that the voter turnout last year was only 66 percent, meaning nearly 30 crore eligible voters skipped the elections. While around three crore people could not vote due to unavoidable reasons, the remaining 30 crore abstentions reflect a disregard for the Constitution, he remarked.
Despite this, he appreciated the efforts of district officials in ensuring a good voter turnout in every election. Urging young voters to take the initiative, he said it is the responsibility of the youth to ensure voter turnout crosses 90 percent in the next elections. They must spread awareness among their friends, classmates, and neighbors about the importance of voting.
Judge Mallikarjuna also explained the significance of National Voters’ Day, which was first observed in 2011. Though the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950, authorities later noticed that despite rising literacy levels, voter awareness was declining. This led to the launch of National Voters’ Day in 2011 to encourage greater participation in elections, he said.
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anand, the chief guest at the event, administered the oath of voting to citizens. Eligible voters were handed representational voter ID cards, and officials who had made significant contributions during the last elections were felicitated.
The event was presided over by Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Mullai Muhilan. Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. G Santhosh Kumar and senior officer Khader Shah were also present. The event was compered by Manjula Shetty.
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Woman duped of Rs 25 lakh in fake Canada visa scam; 1 held
Shimla (PTI): A woman has been arrested from Punjab for allegedly duping another woman of Rs 25 lakhs by promising her to arrange a visa for Canada, police said on Monday.
The accused has been identified as Manju Kumari, a resident of Punjab.
Senior Superintendent of Police SSP Shimla Gaurav Singh said that Manju had contacted the woman several months ago and had promised her to arrange a visa for Canada.
"After this, she asked for money for the same from the victim, which she transferred to her on multiple occasions. However, as time went by, Manju started to make various excuses and ignored her calls," the SSP said.
Upon suspecting being defrauded, the victim's brother registered a complaint, and a case was registered under sections 318 (4) (cheating), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 352 (2) (intentional insults designed to provoke a breach of peace) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the SSP said.
"Police teams were sent to Haryana and Punjab, but she kept evading arrest as she kept changing her locations as well as her mobile numbers. However, the police teams successfully arrested her on Sunday from a flat located in Kharar in Punjab," he said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, and the defrauded money is also being recovered, he added.
