Mangaluru: Two sentenced to life for black magic murder of 3-year-old girl

executive@coastaldigest.com (CD Network)
April 1, 2016

Mangaluru, Apr 1: Nearly six years after a three-year-old girl was murdered in a black magic ritual in the city, a District and Sessions Court has sentenced an elderly man and his suspected foster daughter to life imprisonment.

blackmagic

Pronouncing the order Bhavani Nerale Veerabhadraiah, the judge of IV Additional District and Sessions court, Mangaluru, sentenced Kamalaksha Purusha (79) and Chandrakala (33), both residents of Kampadakody near Yeyyadi, here. The convicts were also sentenced to three years imprisonment for the offence of destroying evidence.

On December 17, 2010, the body of Priyanka, daughter of Firan Kumar Jha and Anjali Devi, a poor couple, was found with burns in the areca-nut garden of Kamalaksha Purusha at Yeyyadi. The girl had gone missing since December 16 afternoon from her parents' rented residence owned by Kamalaksha Purusha's brother.

Chandrakala had befriended Priyanka and used to take the girl to her residence in the neighbourhood frequently. Jha, a native of Madhubani district in Bihar, worked with an electronics retailer in Bengaluru for over two decades before being sent to the retailer's Mangaluru showroom.

After Chandrakala took Priyanka home in the afternoon of December 16, 2010, the girl did not return and a search launched by her parents was futile. The next day, the girl's body was found in the plantation of Kamalaksha Purusha. The post-mortem report said that the child was strangled to death after she had been doused with boiling water.

Though there was no eyewitness to the incident, neighbours told the police that the family of Kamalaksha Purusha was engaged in sorcery for materialistic gains. There were people who had seen Chandrakala taking the girl to her house, they said.

Prosecutors Harishchandra Udyawar and Pushparaj Adyantaya examined 18 witnesses during trial. While the then Mangaluru East Police Inspector Niranjan Urs initially investigated the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police Raveendra K. Gadadi filed the charge sheet before court.

Considering the circumstantial evidence, the judge convicted the two for offences under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destroying of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. While Kamalaksha Purusha was directed to pay fine of Rs. 60,000, Chandrakala was asked to pay Rs. 20,000 for the two offences.

A sum of Rs. 10,000 out of the total fine has to be paid to the government while the balance is to be paid to the deceased girl's parents. The court has also directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay compensation under the Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme to the parents.

The then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had released Rs. 2 lakh compensation to the family of Priyanka through the district administration.

Comments

Aakhash
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Instead of making un necessary issues like Bharath Maathaa Ki Jai., RSS should concentrate to address the people to come out from these types of ugly practice in the community.

Meenakshi Rao
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

This is ridiculous,..murderers should be murdered as same like they killed that innocent girl.

Karan
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

who knows this may not be the first time they killed, which has came to light.

Deepika
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Ghostly act by these two, dont want to c their face , coastaldiget please blur their face, felt like watching some horror movie.

Mohan
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

Planet SKS land belongs to him, builder succeed.

Priyanka
 - 
Friday, 1 Apr 2016

syco path in mangalore, both should be hanged.

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News Network
May 13,2025

A new chapter is unfolding for football in Mangaluru as the football ground adjacent to Nehru Maidan receives a modern artificial turf, with completion expected by the end of May. This long-awaited upgrade promises to significantly enhance the playing experience for both budding and seasoned footballers in the region.

The project, spearheaded by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), involves laying synthetic turf across the 90,000 sq ft ground at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. Equipped with efficient drainage systems, the revamped ground will support uninterrupted play throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

“This is a long-pending demand of the football community here,” said D.M. Aslam of the Dakshina Kannada District Football Association. “We expect the turf work to be completed in the next two weeks. Currently, around 150 children practice regularly at the ground, and we anticipate that number to rise once the new surface is open.”

MSCL General Manager (Technical), Arun Prabha K.S., noted that while the project had been planned for some time, groundwork officially began after last year’s monsoon league concluded in August. “Once completed, this facility will be a full-fledged synthetic turf suitable for training, local tournaments, and league matches,” he said.

With the inauguration expected soon after the final touches are completed, the new astro turf is set to elevate the city’s football infrastructure and serve as a springboard for talent development across the district.

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News Network
May 10,2025

Mangaluru, May 10: A new chapter in Mangaluru’s infrastructure story unfolds on May 16, as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrives to inaugurate two transformative projects: the newly built Deputy Commissioner’s Office at Padil and a world-class indoor stadium at Urwa.

These developments signal a strong push toward better governance and enhanced urban amenities in the coastal city.

₹75 Crore DC Office

The new DC Office, spread across a modern campus at Padil, comes with a price tag of ₹75 crore. Initially budgeted at ₹55 crore, the project received an additional ₹20 crore under the Smart City Mission, aimed at integrating technology and convenience in public administration.

“This facility reflects our vision of a centralized, people-friendly government. With 23 departments under one roof, citizens can now access services more efficiently,” said District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The phased relocation of departments will begin on the day of inauguration and be completed over the next 2 to 3 weeks.

₹35 Crore Indoor Stadium Opens Doors

Also on the agenda is the grand opening of Mangaluru’s new indoor sports complex in Urwa, built for ₹35 crore. This ultra-modern facility is equipped to host national-level indoor events and will offer quality training infrastructure for emerging sports talent in the region.

Initiated during Siddaramaiah’s previous term, both the stadium and DC Office projects are now ready for public use and are expected to create lasting impact.

“These projects are not just buildings. They are investments in governance, youth, and the future of Mangaluru,” said Rao.

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News Network
May 13,2025

Udupi, May 12: A tragic incident unfolded at a wedding in Nandikur, Udupi district, when a four-year-old boy, Vasudeva, drowned in a temple pond near the venue.

According to a police complaint filed by Satyanarayana, 38, a resident of Kurkalu village in Kaup, the child had accompanied his mother, Soumya, and siblings—Vaishnavi (10) and Vishnu Priya (1)—to attend a wedding at the Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple Hall in Nandikur.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Soumya was feeding her infant daughter inside the hall while Vasudeva remained nearby. After tending to the baby, she stepped away briefly to wash her hands, during which time she noticed that Vasudeva was missing.

A frantic search ensued involving family members and others at the venue. About 15 minutes later, at around 2:15 p.m., Vasudeva was found unresponsive in the temple pond adjacent to the hall. Bystanders pulled him from the water and attempted resuscitation.

He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Udupi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Despite this, the family sought further medical assistance at a hospital in Manipal, but physicians there also confirmed that he had passed away.

The Padubidri police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.

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