Minors harassed and filmed with communal remarks in Puttur; 2 arrested
Mangaluru (PTI): Two men have been arrested for allegedly harassing two minors and circulating a video with communal remarks on social media in Puttur town of Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Monday.
The arrest follows a complaint lodged by the father of one of the minors, they said.
According to police, on July 5, the complainant's son and a girl known to him were confronted by the suspects while sitting near Beermale Hill in Puttur Kasaba village. The duo allegedly verbally abused the minors, threatened to record and post their video online.
The accused proceeded to film the encounter in the presence of bystanders, and later circulated the video via WhatsApp and Instagram with communal remarks, they added.
Following an investigation, Purushottam (43) and Ramachandra (38) were arrested.
The case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including promoting enmity between communities and criminal intimidation.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
