Chikkaballapur (Karnataka), Sep 30: A 15-year-old Class 9 student of a government run Morarji Desai Model Residential School in Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka has allegedly been sexually assaulted by the school principal, Eshwara Reddy, according to a complaint filed with the police on Wednesday.

An FIR has been registered against the principal in connection with the alleged incident at the school located near the 11th Mile in Gorlummanahalli village of Shidlaghatta taluk.

According to the student’s statement, the incident allegedly took place around 2.30 p.m. on September 26 in the school’s medicine room.

The girl said she had gone to give medicine to an unwell Class 6 student when the principal allegedly called her into the room, behaved inappropriately and sexually assaulted her. She also alleged that he threatened her against disclosing the incident to anyone.

The student reportedly informed her classmates about the incident, following which the information reached the teachers and her parents.

According to the FIR, the girl’s parents visited the school on September 27, learnt about the alleged incident and subsequently approached the police. On September 28, the girl’s statement was recorded in Chikkaballapur in the presence of child welfare officials.

Dibburahalli police in Shidlaghatta taluk have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the alleged sexual assault.

In her complaint, the 15-year-old victim stated: “I am a Class 9 student at Sri Morarji Desai Model Residential School. I am one of the 250 students studying at the school. The principal of the school misbehaved with me on Saturday (September 26) and again this week. He kissed me, put his hand around my waist and touched my chest. He also gagged my mouth.

“These memories are imprinted on my mind. Against this background, no one should have to undergo the experience I had. No one should be subjected to the injustice I faced. Please help me get justice.”

Meerut, Sep 30: The verdict in the sensational Saurabh Rajput murder case, which made headlines, is set to be delivered by a Meerut court on Wednesday. Ahead of the judgment, the victim’s family reiterated its demand for the harshest punishment for the accused.

Saurabh’s elder brother Rahul spoke to media and said, “We just want one thing: whatever they did to my brother, the same thing should happen to them.”

“Since the beginning of this case, we have been hoping to get justice. We have just demanded one thing — whatever they did to my brother, the same should happen to them. The least they get should be a death sentence.”

Speaking about the case, he said, “It is more than 17-18 months. My business has come to a standstill because of this case. We used to leave for court at 11 in the morning and return only by 5 in the evening.”

He added that he was summoned to court on 11 days, and his mother had to appear nine times. Rahul said 22 witnesses gave testimony. “If the accused is awarded anything less than the death sentence, we will approach the High Court or the Supreme Court,” he said.

The case has seen 126 hearings and testimonies, with the prosecution and defence presenting their arguments before District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra.

Saurabh’s wife, Muskan Rastogi, and Sahil Shukla, whom the prosecution has described as her alleged lover and co-accused, are standing trial in the case. The prosecution has sought the death penalty for both, while the defence has argued that there was no eyewitness to the murder and has sought leniency for the accused.

The case was brought before the court on 17 March 2025, while Muskan and Sahil were sent to Meerut jail two days later. The trial was transferred to the district judge’s court in July 2025, with arguments continuing for around 13 months.

The prosecution alleges that the murder was premeditated and that the accused purchased a knife, razor, cement, sand and a large blue drum before committing the crime. Police and forensic witnesses told the court that the body was recovered from the drum, while post-mortem evidence recorded injuries allegedly inflicted with sharp-edged weapons.

Reportedly, Saurabh’s mother, Renu Rajput, also accused Muskan and Sahil of killing her son. She told the court that Saurabh had married Muskan despite opposition from his family and alleged that Muskan kept meeting Sahil even after the marriage.

Thane, Sep 30: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Pradeep Purnekar, was shot dead in Maharashtra’s Thane on Tuesday night, with police intensifying their investigation into the killing on Wednesday.

One suspect has been formally arrested, while another is being questioned in connection with the case.

The attack took place at around 9 p.m. in the Manpada-Manorama Nagar area, near Purnekar’s office and within the jurisdiction of the Kapurbawdi police station.

According to police, unidentified assailants opened fire at Purnekar, hitting him twice. He was rushed to a hospital on Ghodbunder Road, where he died while undergoing treatment.

CCTV footage examined by investigators showed that one of the two detained suspects was present at the scene during the firing and was allegedly involved in the conspiracy, while the other reportedly provided a vehicle to the two accused who carried out the shooting.

One of the suspects has been formally arrested, while the other is being questioned by police. Investigators are also looking for other people who may have been involved in the attack and are examining CCTV footage from the area and surrounding roads to establish the sequence of events and trace the suspects’ movements.

Pradeep Purnekar’s body was sent to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital on Wednesday morning for a post-mortem examination, DCP Prashant Kadam said. “After the post-mortem, a detailed report will be available,” he said.

Reacting to the killing, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey raised concerns over the law-and-order situation in Maharashtra.

“What has happened to Maharashtra? There are so many criminals, mafias, and murderers roaming freely that I cannot even tell you. Whether it is Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Mumbai, and now Thane, late last night, a senior leader of our party, Shiv Sena (UBT), was shot dead…” Dubey told MEDIA.

Reports said the attackers were wearing helmets and masks. Police are examining footage from multiple cameras and other evidence to identify all those involved and determine how the accused fled the scene.

The killing has also raised questions about a possible connection with a proposed agitation against a local builder.

Purnekar had reportedly announced plans to stage a protest over alleged irregularities by a local builder and had sought permission from the Kapurbawdi police for the demonstration. However, police have not confirmed any link between the proposed protest or the builder dispute and the killing.

Investigators are examining multiple possible motives, including political rivalry and personal enmity. The exact reason behind the attack remains under investigation.