Dharmasthala case: High Court directs State to submit its opinion on PIL filed by Kusumavati
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to submit its opinion on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Kusumavati, mother of Soujanya, seeking a direction to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to register separate FIRs and investigate 74 alleged unnatural deaths reported in Dharmasthala.
The matter came up for hearing before a Bench headed by the Chief Justice. Senior advocate S. Balan appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
The PIL stated that 74 cases of unnatural deaths had been reported within the jurisdiction of a small outpost police station in Dharmasthala village. While the State government had constituted an SIT to investigate these cases, the SIT had registered only a single FIR and failed to register separate FIRs for the remaining cases involving alleged murders, disappearances and deaths.
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Arguing before the court, senior advocate S. Balan submitted that the occurrence of 74 unnatural deaths in a small village and conducting a criminal investigation through a single FIR was not a legally proper procedure.
Intervening on behalf of the State, the government counsel submitted that the government had not yet received the relevant records and, without them, it was not possible to place its opinion before the court.
Responding to this, the Chief Justice observed that the issue before the court was clear, that separate FIRs had not been registered in relation to the 74 unnatural deaths. The court directed the State government to obtain the available records from the court and submit its opinion accordingly.
The High Court adjourned the hearing to February 3, when the matter will be taken up for detailed consideration.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
