Karnataka HC acquits accused in Belagavi triple murder case
Bengaluru, Jun 23: The High Court of Karnataka has acquitted the accused in the sensational Belagavi triple murder accused.
The judgement of acquittal by the division bench of Justice K S Mudagal and Justice M G S Kamal came on the appeal filed by Praveen Bhat against the order of the Sessions Court in Belagavi which had found him guilty of the murders and sentenced him to life imprisonment in April 2018.
The HC bench found that the allegations of murders was not proved beyond reasonable doubt. It, therefore, set aside the conviction order of the Sessions Court.
Homemaker Reena Malagatti and her two children, Aditya and Sahitya were found murdered at their Kuvempu Nagar home on 16 August, 2015.
Based on the complaint filed by Hemanth Dalal, the brother of Reena Malagatti, Bhat, who was a neighbour, was arrested.
He was accused of committing the murders after his alleged illicit relationship with Reena turned sour. Reena was found with her throat slit and the two children strangulated.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
