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Udupi: A young woman was allegedly drugged and raped after being kidnapped in Karkala town of Udupi district, police said on Saturday.

Police have arrested two persons in the case and registered a case under sections of abduction and rape of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Udupi superintendent of police Dr Arun K said that the arrested accused have been identified as Altaf and Xavier Richard Quadros. As per the preliminary investigation the survivor woman and accused Altaf, knew each other from past three months through Instagram and hail from the same locality.

Altaf had allegedly called the woman on Friday afternoon and asked her to meet him. When the victim arrived at the decided spot, she was allegedly kidnapped in a vehicle. Two of Altaf’s friends also joined him. Later, Altaf forced the woman to drink alcohol and raped her. The accused had allegedly spiked the drink.

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

"The rape accused Altaf and another person identified as Savera Richard Kardosa who supplied beer bottles to the accused, have been arrested and their vehicles have been seized. The victim has been shifted to KMC Manipal Hospital for treatment. The legal procedures will be completed as per the law and further action would be initiated in the case," the SP stated.

He added that on social media, false news regarding the incident which was not in the complaint filed with the police and the medical report is being spread.

“We will investigate who is behind spreading the false news about the case and initiate action," he warned.

The case has been registered under Sections 135, 64, 3(5) of the BNS Act.

The statement of the victim would be recorded before the court and legal action would be initiated against the accused, the SP stated.

The West Bengal Assembly on September 3 unanimously passed the state anti-rape Bill after Opposition lend full support to it.

The anti-rape Bill aims at quick investigation, fast justice delivery and enhanced punishment, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said in assembly.

The proposed amendments to the Bill moved by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, were, however, not accepted by the House. The Bill was tabled by state Law Minister Moloy Ghatak.

The draft legislation seeks capital punishment for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state.

Additionally, it stipulates a life sentence without parole for those convicted of rape.

A two-day special session of the assembly has been summoned on September 2 in the wake of the rape-murder of a woman medic at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.

Also Read | All about Bengal’s Aparajita Bill that proposes death sentence for rape convicts

Titled the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024,' the legislation aims to strengthen protections for women and children by revising and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offences.

The bill is aimed at amending the existing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, “in their application to the state of West Bengal to enhance punishment and to constitute the framework for…expeditious investigation and trial of the heinous act of violence against women and children.”

The Bill also seeks to set up fast-track courts for rape cases. “To expedite investigations and ensure swift justice for victims, this Bill proposes dedicated special courts and investigation teams. These specialised units will be equipped with the necessary resources and expertise to handle cases of rape of women and sexual offences against children efficiently, effectively and timely, thereby minimising the trauma experienced by victims and their families”.

‘Aparajita Task Force’ will be constituted to investigate cases of rape or atrocities on women and children. The task force will be formed at the district level and headed by a deputy superintendent of police for the investigation.

Bengaluru: Warning that inequality will increase as society is being divided in the name of religion and caste, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said it is a tragedy that educated people are increasingly becoming casteist.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating an international symposium "Mahatma Gandhi for the 21st Century" organised at Gandhi Bhavan to commemorate the 75th year of the Gandhi Memorial Fund.

"Due to the caste system, many people were deprived of education, leading to increased inequality. It is a tragedy that educated people are increasingly becoming casteist," Siddaramaiah said.

He alleged that "the nurturers of caste inequality killed Mahatma Gandhi." "Gandhi's ideas and guidance given to society are not limited to the 20th century, they remain relevant even today. Gandhiji celebrated peace, truth, justice, and brotherhood throughout his life. He believed that if the whole world adopts the quality of loving each other, the whole society can be at ease," the CM was quoted as saying by his office in a release.

Pointing out that Gandhi believed that nature fulfills our needs but not our greed, Siddaramaiah said as he attributed human "greed" as the reason for environmental disasters happening in Kerala's Wayanad and other parts of the state.

Noting that many educated people follow superstition and "Karma Siddhanta" due to lack of proper scientific education, he said, 850 years ago Basavanna (12th century spiritual leader and also a social reformer) and his followers outrightly rejected the theory of "Karma" (fate).

The CM lamented that today's educated people still believe in the theory of "Karma".

Jawaharlal Nehru led the country by preparing society in a scientific and rational way, while inclusiveness and non-violence were Gandhi's ways, Siddaramaiah further said and added that work needs to be done to take this to the youth.