Panel demanding justice for Sowjanya launches 'NOTA' campaign in DK, Udupi for LS polls
Mangaluru: The Sowjanyapara Horata Samiti, which is fighting for justice for rape and murder victim Sowjanya has launched a 'NOTA' campaign, said President Girish Mattannavar, warning political parties that the activists in the group would opt for 'NOTA' (None Of The Above) instead of favouring the party candidates in the Lok Sabha elections this year.
Mattannavar told reporters at the Press Club in Mangaluru on Friday that the panel was demanding justice in several cases of crime especially against women committed across Karnataka, in addition to the crime against Sowjanya in Dharmasthala of Belthangady taluk. Pointing out that the judiciary too has stressed on the importance of spreading awareness among voters about the NOTA option, he called upon the Election Commission as well as the voters to support the campaign conducted by the committee.
While the Election Commission has limited the amount carried by an individual in person to Rs 50,000, the members of the Sangh Parivar are still collecting lakhs of rupees under the pretext of collecting interest over money lent to the people. It is important for the Election Commission to look into this matter, Mattannavar urged.
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Panel leader Prasanna Ravi said during the press meet that the NOTA campaign would be held in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. A NOTA awareness meeting would also be held in Sullia on April 24 for the benefit of the voters, he added.
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Mere breakup not enough for abetment to suicide: Delhi HC
New Delhi (PTI): Merely breaking up may not amount to instigation for a case of abetment of suicide under the criminal law, the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice Manoj Jain made the observation while dealing with a bail plea by a man accused of abetting the suicide of his former partner, who hanged herself five days after his marriage to another woman.
Granting bail to the accused, the court observed that the instigation should be of such a nature that leaves the deceased with no option but to commit suicide.
It said only a trial would establish whether the deceased's "extreme step" was on account of provocation, instigation, "merely on account of her being hyper-sensitive girl" or for some other reason.
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In the present case, the court noted, there was no dying declaration, and the parties were in a relationship for around eight years, during which there was no complaint from the deceased.
The court observed there was a considerable time gap between the date when the parties stopped talking and the date of the suicide.
"Apparently, it seems to be a case of a broken relationship and quite possibly, the deceased, having come to know that the applicant has got married to someone else, has chosen to finish herself," the court said in the order passed on February 24.
"Though broken relationship and heartbreaks have become common these days, mere breaking-up of relationship may not per se constitute instigation so as to make it to be a case of abetment under Section 108 BNS (abetment of suicide)," the court order read.
According to the father of the deceased, his daughter had been trapped by the accused, who pressured her to convert to his religion for marriage, and it was under such pressure that his daughter committed suicide by hanging herself with a chunni in October 2025.
The accused was arrested in November 2025.
The court observed that, according to the woman's friends, she was upset, and they never claimed anything on conversion. The accused had stopped talking to her from February 2025 onwards, it said.
According to the order, the man was let out on bail on a personal bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000 each.
The accused submitted that the parties were in a cordial relationship for around eight years, but the woman's parents were against the relationship since they belonged to different religions.
He alleged that it was her parents who forced her to sever the relationship.
