Toll collection from 10 state Highway including Karkala–Padubidri to begin soon
Bengaluru: Karnataka’s ten state highways will reportedly begin collecting tolls from travellers passing through the highway. The review of bids placed by private companies to undertake toll collection from the 10 highways’ in the state is currently underway. Shimoga – Shikaripura- Ganagal, Karkala – Padubidri, and Davanagere Birur state highways are included in the list, the deccanherald.com has reported.
Under the Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project of the Department of Public Works (K-ship), construction of 31 state highways was undertaken throughout the state, and in this regard, four of the highways were established under the government and private partnership. Toll collection was reportedly already occurring on these routes. From the remaining 27 roads, commuters have been paying the toll amount in various places for several years, it is learned.
An official with the KRDCL has informed that “The tender scrutiny committee has already finalized the bids for the 10 roads, which have been under use for some time now. We are waiting for the government’s approval following which toll collection will begin,” he said.
He also explained that apart from the maintenance cost, the fixed toll amount was set in place to recover the amount needed to repay the loans taken from various agencies for the project, which includes the World Bank.
The passengers using the Padubidri- Karkala, Gubbi – Chandrashekharapura, Yadiyuru-Koudli-Mandya, Hanagal- Thadasa Road, Shimoga – Shikaripura- Hanagal, Thinthani – Devadurga –Kalmala, Savadatti – Badami –Kamathagi, Bellary –Moka, Davanagere –Birur and Kodlagi –Sanduru –Thoranagal routes will be subjected to toll collection in a month’s duration, sources revealed.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
