Karnataka: 24-year-old man killed by leopard while attending nature’s call

Two persons narrowly escaped after their car fell into a river while driving through a forest in Kasaragod district of Kerala on June 27 morning.

Thashreef (36) of Pullur and his friend Abdur Rasheed (35) from 7th Mile were travelling from Ambalathara, Kanhangad, to Uppinangadi in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada when the accident occurred on the Palanji old bridge on the forest road connecting Kuttikol and Pandi at around 6 a.m.

Rashid was behind the wheels following the directions shown on Google Maps.

As they drove onto a bridge over the Pallanchi River, which lacked barricades and was submerged due to heavy rainfall, they mistook it as a road. It was dark outside and the path was not visible leading to the accident.

The car drifted about 150 meters before getting stuck in some plants. The duo managed to escape by lowering the side windows. Soon they informed their relatives about the accident via phone, who subsequently alerted fire force officials.

Fire force along with local residents rescued Rashid and Thashreef, who sustained minor injuries in the accident. Efforts to retrieve the car from the river are ongoing. 

Notably, a new, taller bridge was constructed 500 meters from the accident spot four years ago, but Google Maps still shows the old bridge.

Mangaluru: A wave of joy and nostalgia has swept over Tulu-speaking communities in coastal Karnataka with the exciting news that Tulu is now included in Google Translate. This significant development promises to elevate the language’s popularity and recognition on a global scale, filling hearts with pride and happiness.

"The addition of Tulu to Google Translate is a monumental achievement for the language and its speakers," beamed Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy chairman Tharanath Gatti Kapikad.

He expressed that the community is overjoyed, believing this step will expose Tulu to a broader audience, allowing people worldwide to appreciate its richness and beauty.

"With Tulu now available on such a widely used translation platform, the coastal district anticipates a surge in interest and curiosity about our language and culture. We also hope this recognition will help bring due prominence to the language. The people of Tulunadu have long been advocating for Tulu to be included in Schedule VIII of the Constitution and to be declared an official language of Karnataka," he shared.

Kapikad noted that while the academy did not directly influence this development, the introduction of Tulu Wikipedia has also played a crucial role in garnering recognition, as there are now several articles in Tulu on the platform. He encouraged people to send feedback to Google Translate to help improve the feature further.

MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath, U Rajesh Naik, Gurme Suresh Shetty, and others also praised Google Translate for adding the language. "I express sincere gratitude to the Google team for making Tulu available alongside 110 other languages," Kamath said with heartfelt appreciation.

This moment is not just a technological advancement but a celebration of Tulu heritage, invoking memories of a rich past and hopes for a flourishing future.

Hassan: Hassan police have arrested MLC Dr Suraj Revanna, in connection with the sexual abuse on a youth case, in Hassan, on Sunday morning.

Suraj was taken into police custody on Saturday evening and was questioned by the police at Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) crime police station in Hassan.

Sakleshpur Dy SP Pramod Kumar, who is the Investigation officer, has arrested Suraj. There are possibilities of producing him before the magistrate on Sunday afternoon.

The Police brought Suraj Revanna to the CEN police station on Saturday night at around 7:30 pm. They have recorded his statements in connection with the complaint lodged against him by an Arkalgud youth and also on the counter complaint lodged by his close associate Shivakumar, office-bearer of 'Suraj Brigade'.

Hassan SP Mohammed Sujitha visited the police station on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, police are waiting for the medical reports of the complainant, who was taken for medical examination to Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.

It may be mentioned that a man from Arkalgud taluk, who had accused MLC Dr Suraj Revanna of sexual abuse, had lodged a formal complaint at Holenarsipur police station, on Saturday.

The man alleged that Suraj sexually assaulted him, following which he told him that he would help him in growing politically in the district.

He said in the complaint that he had texted Suraj about the incident later, and Suraj had replied, "Don’t worry, everything will be fine."

The complainant said that Suraj had invited him to his farmhouse and he forcefully kissed him and bit his lips and cheeks. Based on the complaint, the Holenarasipura police registered a case against the JD(S) MLC under IPC sections 377 (unnatural sex) and 506 (criminal intimidation) late on Saturday evening.

The complainant was brought to Bengaluru on Saturday night after he refused to undergo certain medical tests in Hassan. On Sunday, his potency test was scheduled to be conducted at Bowring Hospital in the presence of a senior doctor.

Notably, Suraj Revanna and his acquaintance Shivakumar had also filed a complaint alleging that they were being blackmailed by two people over a "false sexual assault allegation".

Shivakumar had alleged that a man had initially befriended him and requested his help in securing a job, citing financial distress. Shivakumar agreed to introduce him to Suraj during the Lok Sabha elections.

The police had filed an FIR against Suraj under sections 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) of IPC. 

Dr Suraj is the son of MLA H D Revanna and brother of former MP Prajwal Revanna.