Sujatha Bhatt’s lawyer presses SIT for GPR use to locate burials in Dharmasthala
Bengaluru, Aug 10: Advocate Manjunath N, representing Sujatha Bhatt, mother of missing medical student Ananya Bhatt, has once again urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) equipment in the ongoing probe related to the Dharmasthala complaint case.
In a press release, Manjunath stated that although excavation was carried out at locations in Dharmasthala indicated by complainant Bheem, no human remains were found. However, he pointed out that it is impossible to confirm the absence of remains just one foot away or deeper from the dig sites without advanced scanning. Hence, immediate use of GPR technology is essential, he stressed.
According to available information, hiring GPR equipment for two days would cost around ₹18 lakh. Manjunath noted that the Karnataka government’s annual revenue exceeds ₹2.5 lakh crore, and governments of all political parties have previously spent up to ₹15 lakh per day on senior Supreme Court advocates when needed. “When such expenditures are possible, delaying the use of GPR is unjustified,” he said.
Manjunath further remarked that while some have been questioning the credibility of Bheem’s information and opposing SIT’s investigation, this persistent resistance itself could indicate the authenticity of his statements. Several villagers have already testified before the SIT, claiming to have personally seen bodies buried at multiple spots in Dharmasthala. The advocate said delaying the inclusion of such witnesses in the operation is not advisable.
He expressed confidence that, given its commendable performance so far, the SIT will eventually unearth the buried bodies in Dharmasthala and expose the atrocities committed against them.
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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.
