Justice 11 years later, but scars remain

January 13, 2012

CHIKKABASAVAIAH

Mysore, January 13: When victim of acid attack Dr Mahalaxmi lay on the bed of a private hospital on January 11, 2001, her skin was seething and folding into the facial muscles.

A few of her sensory organs had already died. Yet, the police were meandering over the geographical ‘area’ of crime and had not registered the case since they couldn’t arrive at a decision on that.

Exactly eleven years later, a landmark judgement by the Karnataka High Court, government medical practitioner Dr Mahalaxmi’s face has never been brighter, and her lustrous mane bearing a faint remainder of what a beauty she was, before a man turned into beast and ruined it for her.

Her tormentor Chikkabasavaiah, a man close to his 60s now, has been awarded three years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 20,000 penalty.

This came at the end of eleven years of ordeal -- five years in the lower court and six years at the High Court.

The Lower court had acquitted Chikkabasavaiah of the crime, giving him the benefit of doubt.

Happy with the verdict

Speaking with media, a visibly elated Dr Mahalaxmi said ‘justice is finally done’ and that she was ‘happy with the judgement of the High Court.’

Dr Mahalaxmi’s life went on a roller-coaster ride after Chikkabasavaiah, her former landlord, threw acid on her. She was just 26 then.

“I vacated the portion of the house I rented from Chikkabasavaiah at JP Nagar, because he would come and sit in my clinic, for no rhyme or reason. He was clearly making advances to me and I was worried,” she recollects.

After vacating the premises, she asked her ex-landlord to return the money she had given him as deposit. She had to approach police against Chikkabasavaiah for refusing to refund the money.

The inevitable happened. Her former landlord emptied a bottle of acid which seared her face. “Being a doctor, I instantly knew he had caused some harm,” she says.

Long battle

A young boy barely five years old, his mother and an auto driver took her to an hospital. She lost an eye and a ear, but prepared herself for a long battle.

This graduate from Mysore Medical College took to studies, kept date with follow-up surgeries, and took up a government job for social security and moved the courts.

“A few organisations kept off my case, but the State government and the media helped a great deal. The State even hired a prosecutor to fight my case. I just kept faith and kept at it. I have always believed justice can be delayed, but never denied. I feel women should develop the tenacity to fight the long legal battle for their own sake and never give up,” she says.

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Agencies
May 25,2020

Hyderabad, May 25: Indicating foul play in the death of nine people, including six of a family, whose bodies were fished out from a well near Warangal, a forensic expert on Sunday virtually ruled out suicide theory, saying it appeared seven of them had been dragged and thrown into the water body.

Mystery shrouded the death of nine people, including six of a family, whose bodies were found in a well, five of them on Friday and four on Thursday, on the outskirts of Warangal in Telangana.

Police stepped up the probe and forensic analysis was also underway in the case.

The forensic expert, who visited the crime scene as part of the investigation citing preliminary tests, said that the seven of nine people had scratch injuries and appeared to have been "dragged" and "thrown" into the well.

Forensic reports are expected in 10 days, the forensic expert told media on Sunday adding after examining the crime scene it appears that the deaths were not suicides.

"We have preserved all organs and the same were sent to forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination... some two or three persons might have been involved in the crime. There are scratch injuries on the bodies," he said.

"It appears that they were thrown into the water... There were no injuries on the child's body. We are awaiting the forensic report (to ascertain) whether they were poisoned. It didn't appear as if they committed suicide," the expert, who performed the post-mortem said.

Police sources said at least two people were picked up for questioning.

Bodies of the head of the family, wife, daughter and three-year old grandson were found floating and fished out on Thursday.

On Friday morning, some bodies were seen floating following which police pumped out the water from the well and found others.

The 48-year old man had migrated from West Bengal over 20 years ago and had settled down here. His family had been staying in two rooms on the premises of the unit, police had earlier said.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Lucknow, May 1: Six members of a family were allegedly hacked to death by another family member over a property dispute in Gudauli village in the Banthra area on the outskirts of the city on Thursday, police said.

The accused, Ajay Singh (26), went to the local police station after committing the crime and surrendered, they added.

Singh allegedly had a heated argument with the family members over a property and attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon, the police said.

The accused allegedly killed his mother, father, elder brother, his wife and two children -- a son and a daughter -- they added.

The victims were identified as Amar (60), Ramsakhi (55), Arun (40), Ramdulari (35), Saurabh (7) and Sarika (2).

When asked, Commissioner of Police Sujeet Pandey said six members of a family were killed and the accused surrendered before the police.

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News Network
March 28,2020

Hyderabad, Mar 28: Seven labourers from Karnataka were killed and four injured when the van in which they were travelling was hit by a truck near Pedda Golconda on the outskirts of the city late on Friday night, police said.

The deceased included two children. Of the 31 workers in the van, five died on the spot and two while undergoing treatment at a hospital, Assistant Commissioner of Traffic Vishwa Prasad said.
Four others were hospitalised and the condition of one of them is critical, he said, adding the other workers in the van escaped with minor injuries.

The workers were on their way back to their home town Raichur in Karnataka as the road project they were working in at Suryapet here was stalled due to the lockdown, Prasad said.

He said initital investigations revealed that the mango laden truck, which was on its way to Gujarat, was overspeeding.

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