SP Annamalai warns saffron groups, media against trying to twist Dhanyashree suicide case

Bengaluru, Feb 18: A 26-year-old Kannada singer committed suicide over alleged dowry harassment on Monday. Sushmitha, a playback singer who got married to Sharath Kumar about one-and-a-half years ago, hung herself from the ceiling at her parent's home in Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru on Monday.

The singer sent a Whatsapp to her brother and mother before hanging herself early morning on Monday. She accused her husband and his relatives of dowry harassment in her death note.

According to Bengaluru Police, the singer has accused her husband, his sister and his aunt of harassing her for dowry in her death note. On Monday morning, Sushmitha's brother alerted the police after he found her dead body hanging from the ceiling. She used her dupatta to hang herself.

Sushmitha had lent her voice for Kannada songs in films like Haalu Thuppa and Srisamanya.

Police informed that Sushmitha sent a Whatsapp message to her brother, Sachin, at around 1 am on Sunday and explained that her husband Sharath and her relatives have been harassing her since the time she got married. Sachin read the message at around 5:30am and rushed to her room where he found her hanging from the ceiling.

In the text message, Sushmitha wrote that her husband, Sharath, his sister, Geetha, and his aunt, Vydehi, harassed her and they were the reason behind her ending her life. She also stated that she did not want to end her life in their house and hence came to her parents’ house.

The Annapoorneshwari Nagar police have registered a case of dowry death, charging her husband and his sister and aunt based on complaint filed by Sushmitha’s mother Meenakshi. The three accused are on run after hearing about her death and police said that efforts are on to trace them.

Sushmitha's husband Sharath Kumar is a manager in a car showroom and a resident of KS Nagar in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, June 19: The throat swabs of a Bengaluru-based Kannada journalist, who passed away on June 18, were tested positive for the covid-19, officials said.

Gauripura Chandru (54), who was one of the sub-editors of Vijaya Karnataka Kannada daily newspaper, had reportedly suffered cardiac arrest.

It is learnt that Chandru wasn’t keeping well for past few days. He collapsed at his home on Thursday afternoon and was immediately rushed to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

A native of Gauripura in Chitradurga district, Chandru had completed graduation in engineering. However, he had chosen journalism as his profession.

Bengaluru, Jun 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Rs 220 crore airport project in his political bastion of Shivamogga, as he expressed confidence that it will give a boost to tourism, industries and economic activities in the region.

"The long cherished dream of people of Shivamogga about having an airport is finally becoming a reality.

The project that was planned when I was Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister in the past was shelved due to contractor issues and lack of interest by the governments that came later," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking at the foundation laying event for the airport, which he attended virtually via video conference, he said, now the government is once again taking up the project through infrastructure development and PWD departments.

The project to construct the well-equipped airport at Sogane in Shivamogga taluk at the cost of Rs 220 crore in about 662.38 acre land area has been initiated, he said, adding that the project will be taken up in two phases.

He expressed hope that it will be completed in a year's time.

The first phase consists of runway, taxiway, apron, approach road, peripheral road and compound wall construction, while the second phase consists of terminal building, ATC tower, fire station building, among others, a release said.

Noting that under the Udan scheme the project has been envisaged to provide affordable air travel to people, the Chief Minister expressed confidence about tourism, industries and economic activities in the region getting a boost, with the small airport coming up at Shivamogga.

He also directed officials to complete the airport work on time without compromising on the quality.

Highlighting various developmental works that is being implemented in Shivamogga, the district which is regarded as his political turf, Yediyurappa said, with the cooperation of the central government various railway projects have also been taken up in the district including Shivamogga- Shikaripura rail route.

Shikaripura is the constituency represented by the Chief Minister, while his son B Y Raghavendra represents Shimoga constituency in Lok Sabha.

Yediyurappa, who also inaugurated the divisional office of National Highway authority in the district, said a bridge project across river Sharavati at Singndur in Sagara taluk will be taken up.

Conceding that developmental work has taken a backseat due to the COVID-19 situation, the Chief Minister said the challenge is to overcome it and achieve development.