Belagavi: Woman gives birth after watching youtube, kills infant; couple arrested
Belagavi: The Kittur police have arrested a couple for allegedly killing their newborn in Ambadgatti village of Kittur taluk. The accused have been identified as Mahabaleshwar Rudrappa Kamoji (31) and Simran Maulasab Manikabai (22).
On March 5, the body of a newborn girl was found in a garbage pit near a house in Ambadgatti. During the investigation, police discovered that Simran had been in a relationship with Mahabaleshwar for three years. She had become pregnant, but her family remained unaware due to her body size.
On March 5, when she went into labour, she delivered the baby girl in a bathroom without medical assistance, following YouTube videos for guidance. Mahabaleshwar, her partner, reportedly assisted her over a video call. To conceal the birth, the couple allegedly wrapped the infant in plastic and discarded the body in a garbage pit.
Belagavi Superintendent of Police Dr. Bhimashankar Guled confirmed the arrests, stating that both accused have been remanded in judicial custody.
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Over 2,800 farmers died by suicide in Karnataka since 2023-24 FY: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): A total of 2,809 farmers have died by suicide in Karnataka since the 2023-24 fiscal year, with the state ranking second in the country for such suicides, Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy has informed the state legislative assembly.
In a written reply to a question from BJP MLA Arvind Bellad during the ongoing winter session in Belagavi, the state agricultural minister said that 1,254 farmer suicides were reported in 2023-24 fiscal, 1,178 in 2024-25, and 377 cases were recorded in 2025-26 (as of now).
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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Karnataka ranks second nationally in farmer suicides. However, Cheluvarayaswamy noted a decrease in suicides compared to the previous three years.
Data provided by the minister revealed that Haveri reported the highest number of suicides, with 297 cases, followed by Belagavi at 259, Kalaburagi (234), Dharwad (195), and Mysuru (190).
In terms of compensation, the state government disbursed Rs 54 crore to 1,081 eligible farmer families in 2023-24, Rs 44.8 crore to 896 families in 2024-25, and Rs 9.65 crore to 193 families in 2025-26 (until November). There are 112 cases still under review.
The government attributed the delay in compensation payments to technical issues, assuring that once resolved, payments will be made promptly.
Of the 1,254 suicides reported in 2023-24, 164 cases were rejected, and 1,090 families were deemed eligible for compensation.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 156 cases were rejected, with 1,022 families eligible. For the current fiscal year (2025-26), 46 cases out of 377 suicides were rejected, and 310 families have been deemed eligible for compensation.
BJP State President B Y Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led state government, accusing it of "divine negligence" over the issue of farmer suicides.
"There is no excuse for the negligence of this corrupt Congress government, which has failed to address the plight of farmers. In the last 2.5 years, Karnataka has become second in farmer suicides," he said on 'X'.
It is "shocking" that 2,809 farmers have taken their lives under their rule, he added.
