B’luru cops begin investigation after businessman alleges wife performed black magic to harm him
Bengaluru: A 38-year-old businessman has made disturbing allegations, claiming that his wife and her parents engaged in black magic rituals in their home with the intent to harm him and his family. The Cubbon Park police have initiated an investigation into the matter under the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017.
The businessman, who goes by the name Sanjay (name changed), resides in an apartment located on Rest House Road, off Church Street. He reported that he married Dr. Kalpana (name changed), aged 35, on June 1, 2022. The situation took a bizarre turn on February 22, 2023, when Sanjay returned home from a business trip to discover his wife had cut both her thumbs. She was allegedly sprinkling the blood from her thumbs onto a mixture of ash, camphor, and coconut spread in the bathroom. Additionally, lemon pieces were found strewn in various areas, and signs of a puja (ritual) were evident in both the bathroom and several corners of the house.
Sensing that something was amiss, Sanjay enlisted the services of a detective agency to investigate the situation further. The agency's report allegedly revealed that his wife and her parents had consulted with an astrologer from Attiguppe and a priest known for performing rituals in graveyards.
On June 22, Sanjay's wife went to her parental home. Upon her return, she was accused of adding various oils, ash, and even saliva to the food prepared by their cook at their marital home. This tainted food was unknowingly consumed by Sanjay and other family members. Fearing for their safety, Sanjay and his family decided to send Kalpana back to her parental home. Sanjay's mother successfully managed to do so on July 5.
Sanjay has raised concerns that his father has been bedridden for several days, and their family dog passed away a few months ago, suspecting these developments may be linked to the alleged black magic practices.
A senior police officer disclosed that the complaint was filed on Saturday evening, and an investigation into the matter will commence promptly.
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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