Bengaluru news live update: 17 booked for abusing minor girl in Sringeri

“My parents married me off to a 22-year-old man illegally but I want to study further, please help me.” These were the words of 15-year-old Brunda (name changed) who ran away from her house last week, seeking police help.While she was rescued and is under protection of the Child Welfare Committee, not many minor girls were as lucky in 2020 as they were forced to get married. The pandemic has hurt not just the economy but also the dreams of many girls. In 2020, Karnataka reported the highest number of child marriages in the past decade. While experts and officials say the number seemingly increased last year, their reporting helped prevent many such marriages.

Four days after the sexual abuse of a minor girl for four months came to light, Sringeri police on Sunday booked 17 people under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Police said the 15-year-old SSLC student was abused allegedly by a neighbour and others since September. The orphan girl was staying with her aunt in a village in the district. The incident surfaced on Thursday after neighbours told the district child and women welfare centre about the abuse.

Class 9 and 11 students will join their seniors from grades 10 & 12 on campuses across Karnataka for full-day classes from Monday. The day will also see first PU students returning to institutions after their class 10 exams in June last year. Schools and colleges have been told to take extra Covid-19 safety measures since the number of students on campus will increase. Each college has been asked to appoint a lecturer as a nodal officer to monitor safety measures.

The BJP government may not introduce ‘love jihad’ bill in the current session of the Karnataka legislature. According to sources, the ruling party has decided to go slow on the controversial law and is unlikely to table it in the budget session in March. “At present, we’re not looking at the option of moving the bill in the legislature. Several factors, including legal issues, are to be considered before that,” said law and parliamentary affairs minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Former AIADMK leader VK Sasikala was on Sunday discharged from Victoria Hospital where she was treated for Covid-19. An AIADMK flag fluttered on the bonnet of the car in which Sasikala left the hospital. She headed to a resort near Nandi Hills, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where she’s expected to recuperate for a week.

Ashwini G Bhat, a 35-year-old amateur runner, is among the six members of an ‘Ultra team’ who will represent the country at an international sporting event in Romania scheduled for October 2021. The IAU World Championships (a 24-hour run) is organised every year by the International Association of Ultra Runners. To qualify for it, Ashwini — the only person from Karnataka among the six — ran 181km in 24 hours, finishing seventh overall and fourth among women.

BBMP’s property tax collection this year seems to be unaffected, regardless of the pandemic. With two months to go for the financial year to end, the Palike collected Rs 16 crore more than what it had done last year. BBMP netted Rs 2,483 crore till January 28 this year, it was Rs 2,467 crore during the corresponding period in 2019-20.