Panambur police arrest accused, rescue abducted minor girl, POCSO Act invoked
Mangaluru: The case of the abduction of a minor girl, initially reported at the local police station, has taken a new turn as the Panambur police successfully apprehended the accused and rescued the girl.
The police promptly registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in response to the alleged incident.
The arrested individual has been identified as Muhammad Sarfaraz, known as Chappu (22), hailing from Kasba Bengre. Acting on a complaint filed by the parents of the girl, the Panambur Police Station took action against the accused, who was accused of both molesting the minor girl and kidnapping her on August 10. This led to a swift operation led by Police Inspector Somashekhar J.P., with his team managing to apprehend both Muhammad Sarfaraz and the abducted girl after hours of determined efforts.
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Authorities have confirmed that a case has been registered against the accused under multiple sections, including IPC Section 303 37 and Section 4 of the POCSO Act, under Police Station No. 03/20. The accused is also facing allegations in a total of eight cases under various sections across police stations in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, including Panambur, Kankanadi, Mangalore North, and Byndoor. Particularly, the accused was reportedly evading the law in a case registered at the Kankanadi Nagar police station AC No. 63/2023 (Section: 457,360 IPC) and the Byndoor police station AC No. 06/2013 (Section: 457,368 IPC).
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Maharashtra village goes ‘caste-free’, penalties for abuse, 2-hour student “no-phone” period
New Delhi: A village in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district made an effort to redefine social boundaries through a unanimous gram sabha resolution, with residents of Soundala publicly declaring the village "caste-free" earlier this month.
According to a report published by The Print, during a specially convened gram sabha, a resolution was passed on February 5, which calls for the removal of caste-based distinctions from public and social life. It urges residents to interact only on the basis of shared humanity. It also prohibits inquiries into caste identity and affirms equal access to public spaces, religious places, water sources, schools and government services.
Soundala is located about 350 km from Mumbai. It has a population of around 2,500 across nearly 450 families. Majority of the families belong to upper castes while a significant Dalit population, alongside a small number of Muslim and Christian families also live in the village. While overt discrimination had been declining over the years, residents say the resolution gives formal expression to changes that were gradually taking root.
The initiative was led by village sarpanch Sharad Argade. The Print quoted him as saying that the move was initiated because of rising caste and communal tensions in neighbouring areas of the state and he feared that social divisions seen elsewhere could harden in his own village if left unaddressed.
According to Argade, the idea of declaring Soundala caste-free was discussed over time, influenced by social worker Pramod Zinjade and shaped by his family’s long involvement in local politics. Argade’s wife Priyanka, a former sarpanch, is credited by villagers with playing a key role in challenging social norms through her outreach work, which included visiting homes across caste lines.
The resolution states that Soundala will not differentiate on the basis of caste, religion, creed or colour, and adopts the motto “My caste is humanity." The resolution also warns against social or economic boycotts, communal statements and the circulation of inflammatory content on social media, with provisions for penalties.
After the resolution villagers are sharing food in festivals, visiting each other's houses, and attending community events together. Older residents recall a time when Dalits were forced to sit separately at weddings, use different wells, and stay away from upper-caste houses. Members of the Muslim community also spoke of earlier experiences of exclusion that discouraged social interaction.
Soundala has also introduced penalties for verbal abuse, discouraged discriminatory practices against widows and extended financial support for widow remarriage. The gram panchayat also provides educational support to girls up to Class 12 and enforces a daily two-hour “no mobile phone” period for students to encourage study.
Two months before the caste-free resolution, the village had also adopted a practice of playing the national anthem each morning over a loudspeaker. Argade said it was intended to reinforce a shared civic identity.
Acknowledging that caste remains relevant in government policy, particularly in reservation for education and employment, the sarpanch was quoted by The Print as saying that the aim was to confine caste to official records and remove it from daily behaviour.
