Cyber crime: First crime conviction in state
Bengaluru: In the first cyber conviction in the state, a software engineer was charged with sending obscene mails and photographs of his victim. The engineer quit his job to become a lawyer and defend himself in court.
On Friday, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court sentenced Shivaprasad Sajjan, a software engineer and a lawyer, to two years’ imprisonment and a ₹25,000 fine after finding him guilty under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had taken up the case in 2008 after Sajjan sent ‘obscene and derogatory emails’ to the complainant and sent her photos to various people from a cyber cafe. Sajjan had known the victim.
A CID official said, after a case was registered, Sajjan resigned from a software company and took up law. Eventually, he became a criminal lawyer, practising in Bagalkote and defended his own case. “He used all possible legal loopholes to drag the case. But, he could not prevent his conviction,” said the official.
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Bengaluru: A new health report has revealed that over 75% of Karnataka's population screened in 2024 is either obese or overweight, highlighting an alarming rise in lifestyle-related health issues.
According to the Health of the Nation 2025 report by Apollo Hospitals, as cited by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, 56% of those screened were diagnosed as obese, while another 21% were classified as overweight.
The report underscores a growing public health crisis, driven by sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and undiagnosed chronic conditions that often do not show visible symptoms. The annual report, which examined health data from over 2.5 million preventive screenings conducted across the Apollo ecosystem in India, reveals that symptom-based healthcare is increasingly insufficient to address these hidden health risks.
In Karnataka, the report found that 28% of the individuals screened were hypertensive, with half of them classified as pre-hypertensive. Diabetes was found in 20% of the population, with an additional 25% falling into the pre-diabetic category. These figures reflect the rising metabolic stress among asymptomatic individuals, many of whom are unaware of their conditions.
Additionally, the report noted that 84% of the screened individuals in the state had low vitamin D levels, which can negatively impact bone health and immunity. Furthermore, 64% exhibited reduced flexibility, affecting musculoskeletal wellness.
Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, emphasised the need for India to shift towards a preventive health culture. "Early screening, personalised interventions, and health education should become integral to our homes, schools, and workplaces," TNIE quoted him as saying.
The report also highlighted several other health threats, including fatty liver disease, post-menopause health risks, and childhood obesity. Of the 2.5 million people screened nationally, 65% had fatty liver with 85% of those cases being non-alcoholic. Heart disease signs were present in 46% of asymptomatic individuals, while post-menopausal women saw a sharp increase in both obesity (from 76% to 86%) and diabetes (from 14% to 40%).
Childhood obesity is also becoming a significant concern, with the report revealing that 28% of college students were either overweight or obese, and 19% showed signs of prehypertension.
Mental health issues, often under-reported, emerged as another area of concern, with 7% of women and 5% of men screened nationwide showing symptoms of clinical depression, particularly among the middle-aged population.
