'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme: Goddess Chamundeshwari to get Rs 2k monthly like other K'taka women
Bengaluru (PTI): The presiding deity of Mysuru Goddess Chamundeshwari will be among the beneficiaries of the Karnataka government's 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme, offering Rs 2,000 to the woman head of the families holding an APL/BPL card.
Congress MLC and party's state media cell vice-president Dinesh Gooligowda on Friday said he had written to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar requesting that Rs 2,000 be paid to the Goddess every month under the scheme.
He said Shivakumar, also Karnataka Congress chief, agreed to the proposal and instructed the Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar to deposit the amount to the Chamundeshwari temple account every month.
"The Deputy Chief Minister immediately responded to my letter requested and instructed Laxmi Hebbalkar to deposit Rs 2,000 to Devi every month from her department or personally," Gooligowda said in a press release.
The Karnataka government launched the Gruha Lakshmi scheme on August 30 from the palace city of Mysuru by depositing the first instalment to Goddess Chamundeshwari temple.
Dedicating it to the Goddess, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had prayed for the success of the scheme which is aimed at empowering women from economically weaker sections.
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Sathankulam custodial deaths: Nine police personnel sentenced to death by court
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): In a landmark judgment, a court here on Monday handed the death penalty to nine police personnel in the sensational 2020 Sathankulam custodial death case.
Father-son duo P Jayaraj and J Bennix were allegedly assaulted by the convicted policemen in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, for allegedly keeping their mobile shop open in violation of COVID-19 norms.
First Additional District and Sessions Judge G Muthukumaran classified the case as the rarest of rare, observing that those entrusted with protecting the public had committed a crime that shook the collective conscience of society.
The court sentenced all nine convicted police personnel to death for the murders of Jayaraj and Bennix.
The convicts include former inspector S Sridhar, former sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, and head constables Murugan and Saamidurai.
In addition to the capital punishment, the court imposed a combined fine of Rs 1.40 crore on the convicts to be paid as compensation to the victims' family.
While pronouncing the quantum of sentence, the judge said the police are meant to protect the common man, and when they become the perpetrators of such brutality, the law must act as a deterrent.
It also noted that by killing both the father and the son at once, the police had uprooted the very foundation of a family.
The judge stressed that the punishment must be severe enough to ensure such horrors never recur.
The tragedy dates back to June 2020, when Jayaraj and Bennix were picked up for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond permitted hours. They were subjected to extreme physical assault while in custody, leading to their deaths at a hospital days later.
Following a massive public outcry, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took notice of the case, which was eventually investigated by the CBI.
A total of 105 witnesses were examined over a five-year period. Of the initial 10 accused, special sub inspector Pauldurai died during the trial due to health complications.
