Mangaluru youth stranded in Saudi Arabia returns home; family thanks Indian Social Forum

Several women, believed to be victims of Prajwal Revanna, have left their homes in Karnataka's Hassan district over the last ten days, according to media reports.

These departures reportedly come amid fear and stigma after their identities became public due to the circulating video clips showing the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.

"The entire district is in H D Revanna’s control. You speak ill about them and chances are high that it will reach them, because the family and the party have a large following," a shopkeeper in Hagare - 20 km from Hassan – was quoted as saying by the news paper. 

Hassan is the bastion of the JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, and Prajwal, his grandson, is the sitting MP.

The family of the woman whose complaint was the basis of the first FIR against Prajwal has now left their home, the publication reported, citing a neighbour who said, "The woman worked at Revanna’s house as a house help. Some of her videos started to circulate and then, her house was seen locked. We don’t know when she left."

Notably, a former Zilla Panchayat member has also filed a rape case against Prajwal, and in that village many women who worked for the party formerly are now incommunicado, a JD(S) leader told the publication. "We noticed many of the party women deleting their photos with Prajwal on social media. In some instances, men are questioning their wives about their association with the MP. It is shattering the lives of many women in the district," he said.

The local leader added that the former Zilla Panchayat member was there on April 24, but no one had seen the family since the videos came out.

The case is currently being probed by an SIT team and when they reached the Revanna residence, party workers were reportedly heard talking about the women. "I know this woman, she lived close to our residence and was very active in JD(S) activities. Her house is locked… she has small children," one said, as per IE.

Another shopkeeper added, "It was really wrong to reveal the faces of the women. I know some of them, and they have gone into hiding. We don’t know whether they can return."

He noted that it is impossible to survive in Hassan while fighting a case against the Revanna family.

While Prajwal's father, H D Revanna is in SIT custody, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against the sitting MP.

Mangaluru, May 20: In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a young man ended his life by stepping in front of a speeding train at Kolakadi railway gate near Mulky, following the tragic suicide of his beloved girlfriend. This sorrowful incident unfolded on Sunday casting a pall of grief over their families and the community.

The Victims of Love

The deceased, Kartik Poojary, a 20-year-old mechanic, had returned to his home in Molottu on Saturday after working in Chitradurga. Kartik lived with his mother and grandmother in Molottu, and had recently started working at a relative’s garage.

Kartik’s heart belonged to his collage mate Sharanya, 19, daughter of Harish Kotyan. Their love, blooming in their teenage years, faced the stern disapproval of their parents due to their young age. Although their parents had reluctantly agreed to their union through a legal bond to marry once they reached the appropriate age, fate took a cruel turn.

The Cruel Twist of Fate

In a sudden decision, Sharanya's parents withdrew her from college and sent her away to Moodbidri. Overwhelmed by despair and separation, Sharanya ended her life by hanging herself at home while her family was away on Friday. Her death was a blow too harsh for Kartik to bear.

A Grief Too Heavy to Bear

Kartik, shattered by the news of Sharanya’s death, hurried back to his home in Molottu on Saturday. The following morning, with his mother away in Kerala on urgent business, Kartik's grief culminated in his tragic decision. He walked to the railway tracks at Kolakadi and succumbed to his sorrow under the wheels of a passing train.

The Aftermath

The Mulky police, led by Inspector Vidyadhar, arrived at the scene and registered a case. The community is left mourning the untimely deaths of two young lives intertwined by love and separated by an unkind twist of fate.

Mangaluru, May 14: The Met department has sounded a yellow alert in 13 districts of Karnataka including the three coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada for next four days. 

The other districts are Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Ramanagara, Shivamogga. These districts are expected to received 6-11 cm of rain, the department said.

On Monday Dakshina Kannada and Udupi experienced a monsoon-like atmosphere. Rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, began in most parts on Sunday evening. In Udupi, rain showered in the early hours of Monday. While Kundapur and Udupi received moderate rains, Karkala experienced a heavy downpour.

The showers lowered the daytime temperature in both districts. Light rain fell in Mangaluru and its outskirts early Monday morning. Mangaluru city recorded a maximum temperature of 33.4°C and a minimum of 23.2°C on Monday. This is expected to decrease by two to four degrees in the next four days, according to the weather department.