Vivek Hebbar, son of BJP MLA Shivaram, joins Congress

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday stated that speaking in favour of Pakistan is wrong and constitutes treason. However, he emphasized that an inquiry is ongoing in the case of an alleged mob lynching of a man accused of shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" in Mangaluru.

“If the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was shouted, it is wrong, regardless of who said it. The inquiry is still underway, a case has been registered, and we will determine the appropriate action based on the report,” Siddaramaiah said in response to questions from reporters about the killing.

He reiterated, “If anyone speaks in favour of Pakistan, it is wrong. It amounts to treason.”

Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed that a person was “lynched” in Mangaluru and said that those arrested claimed the victim shouted "Pakistan Zindabad."

“This is under investigation. Only the arrested individuals have made this claim. Nearly 20 people have been arrested so far. The police are also verifying the identity and background of the deceased. We are taking the case very seriously,” he said, noting that several people present at the cricket match where the incident occurred are being questioned.

Responding to allegations that the police initially attempted to portray the incident as a suicide, the Home Minister said, “We have no such information. If any such discrepancies are found during the investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”

According to police, the deceased has been identified as Ashraf from Pulpalli village in Sultan Bathery Taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala.

The incident occurred during a local cricket match near the Bhatra Kallurti temple in Kudupu village, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, on April 27. Ashraf was allegedly beaten with sticks, resulting in multiple injuries that led to internal bleeding and shock. He was declared dead at the hospital.

Newcastle (Washington) / Mysuru: In a deeply disturbing incident that has shocked both the tech world and local communities in India and the U.S., a Mysuru-based entrepreneur allegedly shot and killed his wife and one of their sons before turning the gun on himself at their residence in Newcastle, Washington. 

The couple’s younger son, aged seven, survived, having stepped out of the house shortly before the tragedy unfolded.

The accused, Harsha Kikkeri (57)—also known as Harshavardhan—was the founder and CEO of HoloWorld, a Mysuru-based robotics company. His wife Shwetha and one of their sons were found dead at the scene along with Harsha, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Authorities responded to a 911 call at a townhouse in the 7000 block of 129th Street on Thursday night (U.S. time). Upon arrival, deputies found three bodies and confirmed that the scene posed no further threat to public safety.

While investigators are treating it as a murder-suicide, the exact motive remains unknown. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to release the names or ages of the deceased children. The case remains under active investigation.

A Life of Innovation and Ambition

Hailing from Kikkeri village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, Harsha was an engineering graduate from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), Mysuru. He went on to work with Microsoft in the United States, where he was involved in cutting-edge robotics development.

In 2017, Harsha and Shwetha returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld, a robotics startup that soon made headlines for its product HoloSuit—a bi-directional, wireless full-body motion capture suit. Touted as the world’s first of its kind at an affordable price, the suit was designed for applications across healthcare, sports, education, and skill development.

HoloWorld's products were exported to multiple countries, including the US, UK, and Israel. Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh served as the brand ambassador. Harsha even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss deploying robotic soldiers along India's borders. As a respected member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) network, he frequently spoke at tech and innovation forums.

Despite his professional achievements, the recent tragedy has left many in the tech and entrepreneurial communities grappling for answers.

Community in Mourning

Neighbours in the Newcastle suburb described the family as kind, quiet, and largely private.

“We would exchange greetings. I often saw the mother walking her children to school—she was very warm,” said Alex Gumina, President of the local Homeowners Association.

Another neighbour recalled, “She was always smiling, and her younger son was especially affectionate. We’re devastated—this is unimaginable.”

Residents are planning a community gathering over the weekend to honor the family and support the surviving child.

Business Winds Down After Pandemic

HoloWorld’s corporate headquarters in India was located in Vijayanagar Third Stage, Mysuru, specifically housing its division HoloEducation. The company operated actively from 2018 until it scaled down in 2022 amid the pandemic. The premises have since remained vacant.

“I haven’t been in touch with them in years,” said the building owner. “They shut down during COVID, and I only heard about the tragedy yesterday.”

The incident has sent shockwaves through Mysuru’s business circles. Bhaskar Kalale, Chairman of EqualizeRCM India and President of TiE Mysuru Chapter, expressed deep condolences, calling the event “heartbreaking beyond words.”

The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, undergoing life imprisonment in connection with a 1990 custodial death case, for bail and the suspension of his sentence. While denying him the relief, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also directed that the hearing of his appeal be expedited.

“We are not inclined to enlarge the appellant Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt on bail. However, we make it clear that the observations made herein above are restricted to the prayer for bail only and will have no bearing on the appeals of the appellant and the co-accused. The prayers sought by the appellant, Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt, for the grant of bail are dismissed. Hearing of the appeal is directed to be expedited,” Justice Mehta said while reading out the order.

The case dates back to 1990 when Bhatt was posted as the additional superintendent of police in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. He had detained around 133 people under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) (TADA) Act during a communal riot in Jamjodhpur town.

On November 18, 1990, one of those detained, Prabhudas Vaishnani, died in a hospital after he was released, allegedly due to torture while he was in custody. A complaint of custodial death was registered against seven policemen, including Bhatt, by Amrutlal Vaishnani, the brother of the deceased, following which the investigation was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) branch in Gandhinagar.

In 1995, the CID investigating officer requested sanction from the government to prosecute Bhatt as is required for the prosecution of a government officer when on duty. However, the government did not grant the sanction. After that, CID filed a summary report, which is a closure report, in the court. However, the court rejected this report in December 1995 and instead took cognisance of offences alleged against Bhatt and six others.

An A-summary report was filed in this case in 1995 after the Gujarat Government refused to grant sanction for prosecuting Bhatt. However, after Bhatt’s deposition in relation to the 2002 communal riots before the Nanavati and the Mehta commissions between May and July 2011, the state government withdrew protection granted to him, and the Jamnagar court began framing charges soon after.

A Jamnagar sessions court sentenced Bhatt to life imprisonment in June 2019. This was subsequently upheld by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court.