Bajrang Dal activist's murder: 12 taken into custody in Shivamogga
Shivamogga(PTI): Twelve people have been taken into custody by the police in connection with the murder of a 28-year-old Bajrang Dal activist, which sparked violence in this district headquarters town.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Tuesday: "More than 12 people have been taken into custody. Interrogation is on".
He said three of them have already been arrested, adding, "If they (the remaining) are involved, they will be arrested".
According to police sources, the arrested included Khasif (aged 30) and Syed Nadim (20), who are residents of Shivamogga, about 250 kms from Bengaluru.
Harsha was stabbed with lethal weapons on Sunday night at Bharathi Nagar in the city allegedly by a group of men, who had arrived in a car.
In view of the tense situation, the district administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges today as well. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC are also in force here.
Jnanendra told reporters in Bengaluru that a detailed investigation, encompassing all angles, including the Hijab row, role of religious outfits, funding and who provided vehicle, is being conducted.
Appealing for peace and calm, the Minister said such incidents should stop in the state.
"Police have performed their duties. We appeal to people not to allow any room for disturbing peace. The government will certainly arrest the criminals and get them punishment appropriately,"
He also asked called upon the people of the state to end 'these kind of murders'.
"These kind of murders should stop and it should end with Harsha's murder. This is the commitment of the government and the police department. We are taking this case to the logical end. So, there should not be any doubt among people," the minister said.
Jnanendra said senior officers have camped in Shivamogga and were lending their special guidance to the investigation team.
He also assured that those involved in stone pelting will also be brought to book.
Following the incident, the city witnessed violence, arson, stone-pelting and damage to the properties during the funeral procession on Monday that left at least three persons, including a photo journalist and a policewoman, injured. Several two-wheelers were either damaged or torched.
Police tried to bring the situation under control by firing in the air and lathi charge to disperse the crowd, and made way for the funeral procession to move further and the final rites to take place.
Police personnel have been deployed at every nook and corner of the city. The district authorities have appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm.
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Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment for bludgeoning wife to death
Thane (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter.
Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack.
Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused's daughter, were examined during the trial.
According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes.
The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character.
On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law's residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.
The court defended the testimony of the victim's 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child's account:
"...they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt."
The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a "bomb-like thing" and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.
The victim's brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.
The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.
