Puttur Cheating Case: Child naming ceremony postponed says Prathibha Kulai
Mangaluru: In the case that created widespread attention in Puttur, where a man allegedly refused to marry a woman after she gave birth to his child, the naming ceremony of the baby scheduled for January 24 has been postponed following renewed attempts at a compromise.
Speaking at a press conference at the Mangaluru Press Club, Backward Classes Commission member Pratibha Kulai said the naming ceremony was earlier fixed to be held in Kalladka on January 24. However, the event has now been put on hold after the young man’s family reportedly conveyed their willingness to consider marriage and sought time for discussions.
According to Pratibha Kulai, the child’s grandmother, Namita, received a phone call from Madhu Acharya, an office-bearer of the Acharya Community Udupi Federation, stating that Krishna J. Rao’s family was ready to agree to the marriage. The family also requested that the naming ceremony be postponed and sought additional time for reconciliation. Accepting this request, the family agreed to defer the ceremony.
Pratibha Kulai, however, said the family had been misled earlier for nearly six months and warned that this time there would be no room for further delays. She made it clear that if the marriage does not take place by January 31, the child’s naming ceremony will be held on February 7, after which no further compromise will be entertained.
She said the woman’s family had rejected a condition that only Namita and her daughter should come for reconciliation talks, citing safety concerns. Pratibha Kulai added that she and another activist, Nanjundi, would not attend any private meeting and insisted that any reconciliation should take place either at the Puttur Police Station or in the presence of the Mangaluru Superintendent of Police.
Pratibha Kulai further stated that even the Puttur MLA had said that Krishna J. Rao’s family was not agreeable to the marriage. Since the matter is already before the court, she expressed suspicion that the current move could be an attempt to escape legal proceedings. She alleged that earlier demands had included withdrawing the case, giving the child to an ashram, and even seeking divorce after marriage.
She stressed that the marriage should be conducted legally, whether online or otherwise, to bring the matter to a lawful conclusion. If the couple does not wish to live together after marriage, they may seek divorce through legal means, she said.
Pratibha Kulai clarified that Namita had not participated in public meetings due to conditions imposed on her not to attend gatherings. She reiterated that if the marriage does not take place by January 31, the naming ceremony will be conducted on February 7 in a grand manner, and the legal fight will continue.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
