Kumbha Mela stampede: Bodies of two devotees reaches Belagavi
Bengaluru, Jan 30 (PTI): Bodies of the two devotees who died in the stampede at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela have been handed over to their respective families after their mortal remains arrived at the Belagavi airport on Thursday evening, officials said.
The bodies of Aruna Khorpad (61) and Mahadevi Hanamant Bavanur (48) have been handed over to their families, they said.
Among the deceased also include - Jyoti Deepak Hattavar (44) and her daughter Megha Deepak Hattavar (24), the bodies of whom will arrive in Belagavi by midnight, the officials said.
"Among those who died at the Kumbh Mela, the bodies of two individuals have already arrived at Belagavi airport and have been handed over to their families. The bodies of the remaining two have reached Goa airport and will be transported by road to Belagavi by midnight," a senior official from the revenue department said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda expressed condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the government.
"The government has already borne all the expenses incurred in sending the bodies of the deceased from Delhi to Belagavi. Will also provide appropriate compensation. However, no compensation is equal to the loss of life. The government sympathises with the families," he said.
He said the department has received many calls on its helpline number which was opened to know about the whereabouts of those who went to the Mela from the state.
"Our officials are already in Delhi and are busy making all necessary arrangements for the tourists from Karnataka who were caught in the tragedy. Meanwhile, calls have also been received on the department's helpline. Based on that phone call, we have contacted those who went to the Kumbh Mela and most of them have been contacted".
"The phone of one of them who went to the Kumbh Mela from the Isha Foundation is ringing, but he is not answering the call. Therefore, the search for him is also ongoing," he said.
The minister also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for not sharing timely details about those injured or died in the tragedy from the state.
"How many devotees from Karnataka have gone to the Kumbh Mela? Out of these, how many were involved in the tragedy? How many were injured? How many died? We have not received any information from the Uttar Pradesh government so far," he alleged.
"Therefore, Karnataka IAS officer Harshal Boyal himself went to the Kumbh Mela site, visited the local hospital there and is checking whether people from our state are injured," he explained.
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Former South Korean President Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law
Seoul (AP): Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time.
Yoon is likely to appeal the verdict.
A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country's democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts expect a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties.
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South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.
As Yoon arrived in court, hundreds of police officers watched closely as Yoon supporters rallied outside a judicial complex, their cries rising as the prison bus transporting him drove past. Yoon's critics gathered nearby, demanding the death penalty.
The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon's martial law decree, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure and mobilizing the military.
Yoon, a staunch conservative, has defended his martial law decree as necessary to stop liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.
The decree lasted about six hours before being lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and unanimously voted to lift the measure.
Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since last July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.
The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon's Cabinet members in other cases. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimize the decree by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.
