No evidence for seer’s allegation against singer Premalatha: CID

[email protected] (CD Network)
February 22, 2017

Karwar, Feb 22: Central Investigation Department (CID) has given clean chit to singer Premalatha and her husband Divakar in connection with alleged blackmail case filed by Sri Ramachandrapura Mutt and its Seer Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swami.

1seerlathaOn Wednesday, the CID team submitted ‘B’ report to the Honnavara JMFC court stating that there was no solid evidence to prove the allegations made against Premalatha and her husband by the seer.

Premalatha had earlier filed a complaint against the seer accusing him of sexually exploiting her for many times in the mutt.

In his complaint to Honnavar police in August, 2014, the seer had claimed that Premalatha and Divakar had demanded Rs 2 crore to "not to lodge rape complaint against him".

Following the complaint filed at Honnavar police station in 2014, after an enquiry by the police department, the state government had transferred the case to CID for further investigation.

Background

It could be recalled here that last year a local court had given clean chit to the same seer in the rape case filed against him by Premalatha.

Prior to that the CID charge sheet in the case (164/2014) registered with the Girinagar police station in Bengaluru, had established that the seer has sexually abused the singer repeatedly during the Rama Katha discourses across the country since 2011.

The vital evidence in the case claimed by the CID was the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report. The CID stated that the FSL report confirmed that the DNA sample found on the material evidence matched with the DNA of the seer. The charge sheet also stated that the seer repeatedly threatened the victim of incurring divine displeasure (if she did not comply). Hence, section 508 of IPC was also included.

The court had taken cognisance of the charge sheet and had summoned the accused. Before the stage of Hearing Before Charge (HBC), the seer had filed a discharge application. The CID objected stating that since the charges against the accused were serious, only a trial would unearth the facts. The court, however, discharged him of all the offences.

The victim had stated that after the Rama Katha programme at Gokarna in Uttara Kannada, in September 2011, the seer had made the first sexual advances at her.

Later, during the Rama Katha discourses held at Jodhpur in Rajasthan in October 2011, the seer had called her to his private room and given her some prasadam. The victim stated that the sexual abuse had taken place in Kolkata, Mumbai and in nine districts of Karnataka. The victim was a prominent singer in the Rama Katha programmes and the seer was also present during these programmes. The CID had conducted mahazar and recorded the statements of witnesses at all the places stated by the victim.

In July 2014, a woman by name Deepika, who participated in Rama Katha discourses, filed a complaint with the Honnavar police saying she got threatening calls asking her not to participate in the discourse.

In August 2014, Mutt staffer Raghavendra Madhyasta filed a complaint with the Puttur town police stating he got threat calls asking him not to support the seer.

In August 2014, one Chandrashekhar of Ramachandrapura Mutt filed a complaint with the Honnavar police against the victim in FIR number 164/2014 and her husband of blackmailing the seer for Rs 3 crore. The couple was arrested by Honnavar police and kept in judicial custody.

In August 2014, victim's daughter filed a complaint with the Girinagar (Bengaluru) police stating the seer had sexually abused her mother. The CID filed a charge sheet against the seer; the court (on Thursday) discharged the seer.

In August 2014, victim's brother-in-law Shyamprasad Shastry committed suicide by shooting himself at his residence in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district. Shastry’s wife Sandhya Lakshmi filed a complaint stating that her husband was threatened by the mutt staff to ask the victim to withdraw the rape case against the seer.

Comments

S. Sultan
 - 
Thursday, 23 Feb 2017

Still do we need such a KAPATA SWAMY?????????

Why is he yet not stripped, naked, garlanded, processioned.

The society does not need such swamy.

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News Network
June 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 8: Amid the relaxations in the coronavirus-induced lockdown, wedding planners are adapting to changing times and advancing themselves to provide best possible services to their clients.

Wedding planners come up with new trends. While women are matching their masks to their outfits, men who use turban for a wedding are wearing matching masks with the turbans. People are getting creative at the same time maintaining safety protocols. The live streaming of weddings for those who could not attend the wedding is also becoming a new normal.

Manisha Porwal Chouraria, a wedding planner at Color Palette Productions speaking to news agency said that Post COVID-19, weddings are performed as per the old cultures.

"Wedding Industry has impacted due to lockdown in the wake of COVID-19. Now, the concept of micro-wedding is trending in which you have guests who are close to you. Now, the old culture is back again as people who use to hold a wedding at lavish destinations are getting married in their lawns, farmhouses, terraces. Earlier, people used to get married in their 'Aangan' (Courtyard), people seem to be doing the same now. It is more personalised and expenses have come down, now. People are spending small amounts on decoration," said Chouraria.

"Following government guidelines, we are allowing 50 people at the wedding and not more than that. We are doing live streaming telecast and people can watch the wedding. We are also shipping gift boxes with a letter to 500 people who could not become part of the wedding. In the letter, we are writing that because of norms, you may not be invited but we want something to gift you on our wedding. People are planning to get married now and decide to throw a grand reception after 6 months in the hope that things will get better," she added.

Commenting upon how wedding planners are ensuring social distancing and how the fashion style changed due to pandemic, Chouraria said: "People are using matching masks. If women are wearing silk sarees, they are also wearing silk masks. Men are wearing matching masks with saafa (turban). The entire staff is asked to wear PPE kits. We are giving the guests a healthy kit comprising up of masks, sanitisers, gloves and tissues. We are doing thermal screening of the guests. We are also gifting cuddle curtains, a plastic transparent shield by using which you can touch feet of elders without physically touching them."

Mansi Porwal, Creative Head at Color Palette Productions said that it is becoming a challenging task for creative heads to plan wedding but still they are providing their best to the clients.

"Earlier people used to do theme wedding, big Indian Fat weddings. Now people are wedding with a small gathering. Now, family members are getting time to suggest the wedding planners about themes and the thing they want in their weddings. We are providing the best," she said.

"We have come up with a new theme, 'Har Din Subh hai' which means every day is auspicious. Post COVID-19 people are looking for available dates for the wedding. Now, every day becomes auspicious. This is going to be the new trend," she added.

Another wedding planner, Abhilash of Taarini Weddings said that their company is providing customised masks to guests.

"Earlier we have lots of weddings to cover across the globe. But now, we have less numbers of weddings. Budgets are reduced now. We are happy to start again. We are creating e-invites in which we are sending the guidelines to the guests. We also have a help desk to assist the clients and guests. We are providing the matching masks to the groom and we are also giving customized masks to guests too," he said.

Earlier, Karnataka's Department of Health and Family Welfare Services had issued an advisory for marriages, stating that not more than 50 guests shall be allowed and the consumption of liquor on the occasion will be prohibited.

As per the advisory, anyone found having fever, cold, cough, difficulty in breathing shall not be permitted to attend the event and immediately referred to seek medical advice.

"All persons shall wear face mask compulsorily. All persons shall maintain a physical distance of more than one metre. Hand wash with soap and water shall be provided in washrooms," adds the advisory.

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News Network
May 4,2020

Mangaluru, May 4: In line with the directive of the Deputy Commissioner against opening textile shops even after the relaxation of lockdown, it has been decided to continue the closure of all textile shops in Hampankatta area of Mangaluru until the end of the blessed Ramadan, President of KTA Youth Forum said on Monday.

Pointing out that several rumours were doing the rounds in social media on the opening of textile shops in the wake of Eid, the owners of textile shops met on Monday morning and unanimously decided against opening the shops. The association said the local MLA has also been consulted on the issue.

KTA Youth Forum is an organisation of owners of shops at Kunil Centre in Tokyo Market and Akbar Complex here, mostly comprising of Muslims.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Madikeri, Apr 16: A man from Ketumotte in Virajpet, who was cured of COVID-19 and returned to his home, has again been admitted to the hospital, following a complaint of fever, on Wednesday noon.

The man, who voluntarily got admitted to the hospital, is being treated in the isolation ward of the Covid-19 hospital. His throat swab and blood samples have been sent for testing. The report is likely to be out by Thursday morning.

After getting discharged from the hospital on April 7, he was home quarantined. After a week, he developed fever again. The person has not moved out of his house and the people need not fear, said Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

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