Rain subside in Kodagu: Two bodies found in Mukkodlu village
Amidst grief of losing everything, people fearing thieves
Madikeri, August 20: Though the intensity of the rain is subsidized in the district, Madikeri taluk has received rainfall even on Monday. People heaved a sigh of relief as its raining moderately. But the quantity of the loss is increasing with the fresh landslides. The rescue operations were continued even on Monday.
Bodies of mother and son were found at a ravine in Mukkodlu village. While searching for the missing people at Mukkodlu village, the NDRF team found the bodies at the ravine. But it was not sure whether they were washed away or trapped in the ravine while escaping.
Fear of thieves
Amidst the grief, the distressed people of the district have been facing another threat. When they were taking shelter at relief camps, their houses were being robbed in their villages. The reports of theft cases are being reported in some villages like Jodupala where the thieves entered the abandoned houses and made away with the valuables. As this region has access from the Dakshina Kannada district through Sampaje, the authorities have been checking all vehicles coming through Sampaje gate.
As the Chamundeshwari Nagar and Indira Nagar extensions in Madikeri are deserted, the thieves have been doing their business. It is said that TVs and gas cylinders in some houses were stolen.
Hanging bridge collapsed
The hanging bridge constructed across the Cauvery river six years ago near Kudige village to connect 20 villages of Periyapatna of Mysuru district was damaged due to the force of water. The force of water was increased in the confluence of Harangi and Cauvery rivers, the ropes of the hanging bridge on either side were damaged.
Four houses damaged
Two houses which were submerged in the water were collapsed at Cauvery extension in Kudige gram panchayat limits and two more houses at Seegehosur and Sita Colony were also collapsed.
Connecting bridge collapsed
A bridge constructed to connect Mysuru district Kanagalu hobli with Madikeri, across the Cauvery river at Hanumantapura village was damaged as the road on either side of the bridge was collapsed. As a result, movement of heavy vehicles on the bridge was suspended.
Relief camp opened
Total four relief camps were opened in Kudige and Kudumangaluru gram panchayat limits. Hundreds of distressed people were given shelter at the relief camps at Kudige, Madalapura, Hulugunda and Mullusoge government schools. Local administrations and voluntary organizations have been supporting them.
The water level is receding gradually. As a result, residents have been cleaning their houses. Following the order of the district administration, bleaching powder and phenols are being distributed for cleaning purpose.
Manure washed away
As more water is released from Harangi reservoir, the water gushed into the Kudumangaluru cooperative society godown situated on the river bank and around 5 loads of chemical fertilizer was washed away in the water.
Before the water gushed into the godown, the locals and fire brigade personnel have shifted around 7 loads of fertilizer to safe places. Along with the fertilizer, 20 bags of rice was also damaged, sources said.
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'Traitor' jibe: HC issues notice to police, Sena MLA on Kamra's plea against FIR
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Mumbai police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel on comedian Kunal Kamra's plea challenging an FIR lodged against him for allegedly passing a "traitor" jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak said it would hear Kamra's petition on April 16.
The comedian has failed to appear before the Mumbai police for questioning despite three summons issued to him.
Following a complaint by Sena MLA Murji Patel, the Khar police in Mumbai last month registered the FIR against Kamra under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation).
"Issue notice to the respondents (police and Patel). They shall take instructions and respond to the plea," the HC said.
Three FIRs registered against the comedian at Nashik Rural, Jalgaon and Nashik (Nandgaon) have also been transferred to the Khar police.
Kamra's counsel Navroz Seervai informed the Bombay HC bench that the Madras High Court on Monday extended till April 17 the earlier interim transit anticipatory bail granted to the comedian.
The petitioner has offered in writing thrice to the police to allow him to appear for questioning via video conference in light of the dangers and threat to his life, Seervai said.
"It seems that the police authorities are not so keen on recording his statement but more on bringing him here physically," the senior counsel claimed.
Kamra is presently in Tamil Nadu where he has been residing since 2021, as per his plea.
"This is not a case of murder. It is an FIR that has stemmed from a stand-up comedy show. He (Kamra) is ready to cooperate with the probe but through video conference," Seervai said.
The bench said it would consider all issues on April 16.
During the show, stand-up comedian Kamra had taunted Shinde, without taking his name, using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film "Dil To Pagal Hai" where he called him a "gaddar" (traitor).
The comedian went on to joke about how Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership (in June 2022).
In his plea filed on April 5, Kamra claimed the complaints against him were violative of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression, right to practice any profession and business and right to life and liberty guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
He sought for the FIR to be quashed, claiming the allegations, even if taken at face value, do not constitute an offence.
The comedian also sought the HC to protect him from any coercive action including arrest, seizure of his personal electronic devices and examination of his financial transactions and accounts.
"To permit the investigation to continue would constitute a frontal assault on the freedom of speech and expression. Should a citizen's right to comment on the political developments and actions of political leaders be criminalised in this manner?" the petition said.
Kamra said his remarks made regarding the split in the Shiv Sena, Shinde quitting Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction and being sworn in as the chief minister at the time (in 2022) are all part of records.
The plea said the FIR has been registered on a stand-up comedy performance, which provides satirical commentary on various social and political events of the country.
There has been a gross abuse of process and the malafide deployment of the criminal justice machinery by a member of the state's legislative assembly, resulting in a patent violation of a citizen's fundamental rights, it claimed.
As per the petition, Kamra wrote the show's script in July 2024 and performed it on 60 occasions between August last year and February 2025.
A recording of the show was uploaded only in March 2025, pursuant to which case was lodged, it said.
