Padmapriya ‘suicide’: Setback for former Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat as SC sets aside HC order

News Network
September 18, 2017

Udupi, Sept 18: In a major setback to BJP leader and former Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, the Supreme Court has set aside the 2014 order of the Karnataka High Court, which directed a trial court in Udupi to order further investigation against Athul Rao on charges of abetting Padmapriya, wife of Mr. Bhat, to commit suicide, adultery and enticing a married woman. Athul was a close friend of Padmapriya.

A Bench, comprising Justice Dipak Misra (as he then was) and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, in its August 18, 2017 verdict, allowed Athul’s plea and set aside the High Court’s September 16, 2014 order.

Also, the Supreme Court directed the Udupi trial court to conclude within six months the trial of the case against Athul.

The police had filed charge sheet against Athul under Sections 417, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code accusing him of cheating and forgery in connection with his actions of procuring several official documents, including the rent agreement for a flat in New Delhi, where Padmapriya allegedly committed suicide on June 14/15, 2008.

The charges were based on fraudulent information and false representations made by Athul to show that Padmapriya was his lawfully wedded wife. Athul’s claim was that he had only helped Padmapriya, “on her request,” to come out of her marital house.

Not satisfied with the charge sheet filed by the police in August 2008 and the supplementary charge sheet in July 2009, Mr. Bhat had filed a private complaint against Athul before a magistrate court in Udupi making allegations under Sections 497 (adultery), 498 (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman) and 306 (abetment to suicide). The magistrate court had ordered a separate investigation based on Mr. Bhat’s complaint.

However, Athul moved the High Court challenging the probe ordered on Mr. Bhat’s complaint.

And the High Court quashed the investigation ordered by the magistrate but allowed Mr. Bhat to file an application seeking further investigation before the trial court, where the police had already filed the charge sheet against Athul. The High Court had asked the trial court to consider Mr. Bhat’s plea “in accordance with the law.”

The trial court, after hearing Mr. Bhat’s application, on August 7, 2014 rejected his plea for further investigation while observing that “investigation officer had probed the case from all angles in the context of allegations in the complaint” besides making it clear that additional charges could be framed against Athul if any evidence is revealed during trial.

This made Mr. Bhat to move High Court against rejection of his plea for further probe. The High Court, in its September 16, 2014 order, allowed Mr. Bhat’s petition and directed the trial court to order further investigation.

But Athul moved the Supreme Court, which on February 2, 2015 stayed the High Court’s order related to further investigation.

In its final order, the apex court held that the High Court “committed manifest error in interfering with the discretionary order passed by the trial court, which had rightly, giving proper reasons, rejected Mr. Bhat’s plea for further investigation.

Comments

Kalandar Manna…
 - 
Tuesday, 19 Sep 2017

Raghupathi Bhatta has to be punished, The law should be same for all.

Danish
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Mr. Raguphathi bhat is innocent and the rest god knows.

Truth
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Yeddyruappa also claimed innocence for his wife's death

Unknown
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Will never get justice

Suresh
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Nothing new in this?  Dirty law of India

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News Network
February 4,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 4: A 33-year old woman techie allegedly stabbed her mother to death and made a murderous assault on her younger brother before fleeing their home here, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the woman fatally stabbed her mother using a knife and attacked the brother early on Monday.

The injured brother has been hospitalised here.

A search was on for the techie and the motive for her action under investigation, police said.

The woman, employed as a software engineer with a company here, earlier had told her mother and 30-year old brother that she has been transferred to Hyderabad and she may have to relocate.

The brother told police that in the early morning on Monday he saw his sister searching something desperately and offered to assist, which she refused.

However, minutes later she made a murderous assault on him, he told police, adding when he screamed for help and called his mother, his sister said she has killed their mother.

She stabbed him and attacked with an iron rod before fleeing, her brother told police.

The body of the mother was found in another room in the house.

"We are still investigating the matter. We are not clear about the motive behind the murder," a police officer told media adding the woman was yet to be arrested.

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News Network
July 20,2020

Bengaluru, July 20: The Karnataka government has reiterated that no final decision has so far been taken on reopening of schools in the state.

The clarification comes after minutes of the July 15 HRD ministry meeting where Karnataka education department officials said schools are reopening on September 1 went viral on social media. 

“The state government has not decided yet on starting schools. That they will reopen in September was only a general opinion expressed by our officials at the meeting. At present, we have no plans to start schools unless there is a conducive environment. There’s no need for anxiety,” said primary and secondary minister S Suresh Kumar.

Kumar said the government is involved in meeting the education sector’s changed priorities in the current scenario.

The minutes were of a virtual conference on school-safety plans, with representatives of state governments and Union territories expressing views on reopening of schools. 

Against the name of Karnataka, “After September 1” was written. Similar datelines were given by Kerala, Ladakh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, while in case of many other states it said “no decision”.

An education department official said Karnataka submitted to MHRD that it will be able to take a decision only after September 1, depending on the situation in the state.

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News Network
February 12,2020

New Delhi, Feb 12: Buoyed by the Aam Aadmi Party's stellar performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Maharashtra unit of the party has decided to fight all forthcoming local elections, including the Mumbai elections.

The AAP’s Bengaluru unit will also contest the municipal corporation polls likely to take place in August or September.

AAP National Executive Member Preeti Sharma Menon said the party will try to “replicate the Delhi model of pragmatism, performance, and people centric policies”.

“We are sure that Maharashtra will shower us with the same faith and love as Delhi has done so,” she said.

The party has decided to field candidates in all the 198 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

"We have been planning to contest the BBMP election when we received a major shot in the arm. The Delhi victory happened because of the good work, which we want to replicate here," AAP's co-convener in Karnataka and party's BBMP campaign in charge Shanthala Damle told PTI on Tuesday.

Born out of an anti-corruption movement, the AAP led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal registered the second landslide victory by winning 63 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections.

According to Damle, AAP in Bengaluru was working in full swing to make its presence felt in the city. "The party has already done its ground workin terms of election campaign and reaching out to the people in Bengaluru," she added.

According to her, the party has already opened around 10 offices and about 50 people have been announced as the assembly president or ward president.

Last month, the party launched a 40-minute movie called 'Hosa Bengaluru' (New Bengaluru) and conducted 50 shows already.

"It shows the Delhi model and explains what can be done in Bengaluru. So that is part of our vision," the AAP leader said.

In its next level of the campaign, AAP intends to conduct 'Jana Samvada' (Dialogue with people) in every street and in every ward.

The preparedness of the party can be gauged from the fact that it has identified many of its candidates for the BBMP elections.

The party has never tasted success in Karnataka anywhere but the Delhi's success story has kindled a new hope as many people would now be waiting to join the AAP, Damle said. The AAP cadres in Bengaluru burst into celebration soon after it became clear that the party was going to script history by forming government for the third consecutive time since its inception.

Sporting their signature caps, party workers lit crackers, danced on the Delhi election song 'Lage Raho Kejriwal'.

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