Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pays floral tribute to veteran actress Saroja Devi
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday offered floral tribute to legendary actress B Saroja Devi, who died at her residence in Malleswaram here.
The 87-year-old actress died on Monday due to age-related illness.
Her last rites will be performed in her native village Dhashavara in Channapatna Taluk of Mandya district today.
Speaking to reporters after paying homage at the late actor's home in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister described her demise as "a major loss to the entire film industry."
"B Saroja Devi entered the film industry at a very tender age and served it for nearly 70 years. At a young age, she earned the title of 'Abhinaya Saraswati' and became a multi-talented actress who worked in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films," Siddaramaiah said.
Saroja Devi brought life into the characters she portrayed and acted alongside leading actors of her era, including M G Ramachandran, N T Rama Rao, Shivaji Ganesan, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and Dr Rajkumar, he added.
The Chief Minister also said that Saroja Devi had immensely contributed to the growth of the Kannada film industry.
He further stated, "The film industry has suffered a huge loss in her death. On my behalf, and on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, I pray for her soul to rest in peace and for strength to her family members to bear this loss."
Siddaramaiah also announced that state honours would be accorded at her cremation, which will be held in her native village.
He also recalled having met Saroja Devi on several occasions.
"She was always warm and affectionate. I have also watched some of her memorable films such as Kittur Rani Chennamma, Bhagyavanthalu, Babruvahana, and Nyayave Devaru," he recalled.
Born on January 7, 1938, in Bengaluru, Saroja Devi rose to become one of Indian cinema's most celebrated and iconic actresses.
She made her film debut in the early 1950s and went on to feature in over 180 films across multiple languages.
Known for her elegance, powerful screen presence, and versatile acting, she quickly gained fame.
Her performances in films like Kittur Rani Chennamma, Sasural, Anbe Vaa and Enga Veettu Pillai are remembered as landmarks in Indian film history.
Saroja Devi was particularly known for her historical and mythological roles, portraying strong female characters with conviction and grace.
She was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri from the Government of India, and the Dr Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award from the Karnataka government.
Following the news of her demise, condolences poured in from all corners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Karnataka ministers, political leaders, and prominent personalities from the Indian film industry paid tribute to the departed soul, recognising her enduring legacy and invaluable contributions to Indian cinema.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
