Devanahalli land acquisition rollback, a victory for farmers who resisted temptations: Prakash Raj
Bengaluru: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has hailed the Karnataka government's decision to withdraw the land acquisition process in Devanahalli’s Channarayapatna and surrounding villages as a historic victory for farmers who stood firm against all odds.
Speaking after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the cancellation of the acquisition notification, Prakash Raj said the triumph belonged to those farmers who continually asserted, “We will not sell our land; we will remain farmers.” Describing the movement as historic, he emphasized that the resistance was built on unwavering courage and collective strength.
“This victory is a testament to how governments are compelled to listen when people across society stand in solidarity with even a single protester in a remote corner,” said Prakash Raj. “It proves that even struggles that don’t directly affect us deserve our support if we care about justice.”
The actor, who has actively supported the farmers' agitation, lauded the three-year-long campaign where local farmers rejected all inducements and pressure to give up their land. He noted that most people facing injustice are silenced or ignored, but when even one more person stands with them, it turns into a powerful movement. “That is the essence of this victory—it is a victory of societal conscience,” he said.
Prakash Raj also responded to a media question about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling him a people-centric leader. “Yes, the CM has shown he cares for public concerns. But we must also acknowledge that it took him three years to finally hear the farmers’ voices,” he added.
“Regardless of who is in power or how virtuous they may seem, only when civil society develops the strength to question power can those in power remain virtuous,” Prakash Raj observed. “This farmers’ movement has proven that even good leaders need our pressure and support to stay good.”
This development follows years of resistance by local farmers who opposed the government's plans to acquire land for industrial projects in the Devanahalli region.
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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.
