K’taka Govt reconstitutes legal panel to handle communal cases from Mangaluru, DK district
Bengaluru: In a move aimed at strengthening legal representation in sensitive communal cases, the Government of Karnataka has reconstituted a special panel of law officers to handle such cases arising from the jurisdiction of the Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate and the Dakshina Kannada District Police Unit before the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka.
This decision, issued through Government Order dated July 3, 2025, comes in the wake of growing communal tensions in Dakshina Kannada and Mangaluru City and a rise in the number of such cases being registered in recent times.
According to the official order, the newly formed panel supersedes an earlier Government Order dated June 20, 2025, and includes the following legal officers from the Advocate General’s Office:
1. B.A. Belliappa – State Public Prosecutor – I
2. Shahul Hameed Reheman – Additional Advocate General
3. Pradeep C.S – Additional Advocate General
4. Asma Kouser – Additional State Public Prosecutor
5. Rashmi Jadhav – Additional State Public Prosecutor
The panel is empowered to take the assistance of the concerned High Court Government Pleader for handling specific cases when required.
The reconstitution was initiated based on a request from the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP), Karnataka, through a letter dated June 11, 2025. The police chief had highlighted the pressing need for a dedicated legal team to manage and pursue the rising number of communal cases effectively, especially in light of the sensitive law-and-order situation in the region.
The government, after due consultation with the Advocate General of Karnataka, approved the formation of this high-powered legal panel. The appointed officers are expected to ensure robust prosecution and uphold the rule of law in communal cases that reach the High Court from these two key jurisdictions in the coastal district.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
