Reuters journalist Shruti, 37, from Kasaragod found dead in Karnataka; marital woes suspected

Udupi, Aug 27: Police on Tuesday arrested a BJP worker in connection with the abduction and rape case in Karkala, which Sangh Parivar had tried to portray as a ‘love jihad’ case.

In fact the BJP had run a campaign over the abduction and rape case and slammed the Karnataka government alleging a ‘love jihad’ angle.

The arrested BJP worker identified as Abhay is the third accused to be arrested in the case.

Police stated that Abhay had also helped the main accused Altaf to escape after the incident.

The Karkala town police have also slapped the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) against him as investigation has revealed that Abhay had provided drugs to Altaf.

The accused had posted BJP MLA and Karnataka General Secretary, V Sunil Kumar's photo in his social media account and also identified with Hindu organisations, police said.

A probe has revealed that Abhay was close to Altaf.

The development has triggered a debate on social media.

Abhay had also taken part in the campaign against drugs organised by the Bajrang Dal and he was also a part of the team which submitted a memorandum to the Deputy SP of Karkala.

More details are yet to emerge regarding the incident.

The police department is yet to give an official statement regarding the development.

An incident of an Instagram friend kidnapping and raping a 21-year-old woman had come to light on last Saturday from Karkala town of Udupi district.

The police had arrested two persons in this connection and the victim was admitted to hospital.

The case had taken a twist with Hindutva organisations alleging ‘love jihad’ and claiming that the victim was gang-raped.

The police had warned of strict action against those spreading rumours.

The arrested persons were identified as Altaf and Xavier Richard Quadros.

Udupi SP, Dr Arun Kumar had stated, "We received a complaint on Friday evening regarding the kidnap and rape of a young woman. The victim and accused were friends on Instagram for three months. The accused and the victim belong to the same place."

The accused Altaf, who was the woman’s Instagram friend, had called the victim and asked her to come to a particular spot near her work place on Friday noon.

When the victim reached a particular spot, she was kidnapped from there, he stated.

The victim claims that she was forced to consume a drink laced with some sedative substances and the accused then raped her, SP Arun Kumar had stated.

After committing the crime, the accused had dropped the victim home, he had said.

The Israeli military has carried out airstrikes against several towns across the occupied West Bank, leaving at least 11 Palestinians dead and 15 others wounded, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says.  

Ahmed Jibril, spokesman of the PRCS said on Wednesday that two Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces launched a drone strike on the city of Jenin, adding that four others lost their lives in a drone assault on their vehicle in a nearby village.

Five others were also killed in an Israeli strike on the al-Fara refugee camp located south of the West Bank city of Tubas, he said.

Israeli tanks also besieged the camp, preventing medical teams from reaching the wounded.

Israel deployed hundreds of troops to the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas to carry out large-scale military operations in those areas.

The raids were met with strong resistance from Palestinian fighters, who destroyed Israeli bulldozers.

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the operation is part of a wide-scale military offensive launched by the Israeli occupation authorities in several areas of the West Bank.

Israeli forces were carrying out a “major offensive in the city of Tulkarm,” besieging hospitals and preventing Palestinians from moving in and out of the city, according to Wafa.

The bloody attacks came two days after seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a house in al-Manshiya neighborhood at the Nour Shams refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in northwestern West Bank.

A number of others were also wounded during the raid on Monday, which saw the Israeli aircraft releasing several missiles against the targeted residence.

Israel has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied territories since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. More than 640 Palestinians have been killed in the assaults and in attacks by Israeli settlers, including more than 100 children.

Israel launched the barbaric campaign of death, destruction and genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Israel has so far massacred 40,476 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Mangaluru: In a tragic case that shocked the city, the principal district and sessions judge Ravindra M Joshi sentenced Sandeep Rathod of Sindagi, Vijayapura, to life imprisonment for the murder of 22-year-old college student Anjana Vashishta.

According to public prosecutor Judith OM Crasta, the gruesome crime occurred on June 7, 2019, when Anjana's body was discovered at Pais Cottage in Attavar. The victim was found with cable wires wrapped around her neck, her head wedged between the cot's rods, painting a chilling picture of her final moments.

Anjana, an MSc student in Ujire, had met Rathod, then 23, through Facebook in July 2018. Rathod, posing as a constable-in-training, developed a relationship with her, even securing a place at the Royal Academy Coaching Centre in Mangaluru. However, things took a dark turn when Anjana informed Rathod that her family had arranged a marriage proposal for her, which she planned to accept.

Devastated by her decision to end their relationship, Rathod called Anjana to his room. In a fit of rage, he strangled her. After the murder, he stole her phone, withdrew Rs 15,000 from her account using her ATM card, and fled to Sindagi, where he stayed at Sangam Lodge.

The Mangaluru South police investigated the case and filed charges under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 380 (theft), and 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property). The court's thorough investigation included testimony from 45 witnesses and the review of 100 documents.

The court ultimately sentenced Rathod to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000. He was also sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for the theft and misappropriation charges, along with fines totaling Rs 1,500. Additionally, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to Anjana’s parents for their immense loss.