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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Worker’s body reaches Ranchi from Saudi 4 months after death; family rejects over compensation
Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.
Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.
“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.
“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.
Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.
“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.
The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.
Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.
Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.
