5 from Bengaluru enjoying Eid holidays in Mandya drown in Visvesvaraya Canal

Mangaluru, Jul 3: The sixth additional district and sessions court has sentenced five individuals to life imprisonment for the murder of Ismail, a 59-year-old resident of Pavoor under the Konaje police station jurisdiction. Among the convicted is Ismail's wife.

The 2016 incident, driven by an illicit relationship, shocked the local community.

Ismail's wife, Nabeesa (40), was involved in an affair with Jamal Ahmed (38), leading to frequent arguments with her husband. In response to Ismail's objections, Nabeesa devised a plan to have him killed.

The co-conspirators included Abdul Munaf alias Munna (41) and Abdul Rehman (36) from Ullal, and Shabbir (31) from Boliyar, all of whom participated in the murder.

On the evening of February 16, 2016, the accused lured Ismail under the guise of a rental job opportunity and killed him in a remote forest area near Shiradi. They buried his body and abandoned the vehicle to cover up the crime. Nabeesa financed the murder by pawning jewelry and filed a missing person's report to mislead investigators.

Judge Kanta Jaru S V found the accused guilty, sentencing them to life imprisonment with additional fines. The court also imposed rigorous imprisonment terms, underscoring the severity of the crime, and mandated compensation for Ismail's children through the District Legal Services Authority.

A day after a Vokkaliga seer publicly urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down in favour of his deputy D K Shivakumar, a prominent seer from the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community on Friday called for ministers from his community to be considered if there is a change in the CM post.

Channasiddharam Swamiji of Srishail Peetham stated that if the Congress decides to change the state chief minister or create additional deputy chief minister positions, preference should be given to legislators from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

Speaking to reporters at Yadur village in Chikkodi taluk, the seer emphasized that people from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community have voted for Congress in large numbers.

"If the Congress wants to change the chief minister or create more deputy chief minister posts, community members like M B Patil, Ishwar Khandre, S S Mallikarjun, and veteran Shamnur Shivashankarappa should be considered. During the government formation, Veerashaiva-Lingayat votes were decisive. Therefore, Veerashaiva-Lingayat ministers should be given priority and their experience utilized. I urge that they be given an opportunity," he said.

Talks in this regard have been held with Kashi, Ujjani, and other seers of Panchapeethas, and there is an understanding about the chief minister's post within the Congress. The grand old party should walk the talk, he added.

On Thursday, Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji had raised the pitch for Shivakumar as CM during the Kempegowda Jayanti event, which commemorates the birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder, in the presence of both Siddaramaiah and the deputy chief minister on the dais.

Mangaluru, June 27: Even as meteorological department has declared a red alert due to heavy rain across Dakshina Kannada, the district administration has announced that the holiday will continue on Friday, June 28, for Anganwadi centers, primary schools, high schools, and pre-university colleges. They were also closed on June 27 due to heavy rains.

As a precautionary measure, the holiday has been declared for primary schools, high schools, and PU colleges only, and not for degree colleges and above.

Since Wednesday morning, the district has been experiencing rainfall, prompting the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner to announce a holiday for Anganwadi centers, primary schools, and high schools as a precautionary measure.

However, in Udupi, the expected rainfall has not occurred despite the red alert today. Therefore, classes for schools and colleges will continue as usual on June 28. No holiday has been announced, clarified Deputy Commissioner Dr. K. Vidyakumari.