When Scams, Dastardly Crimes Shook State

Explosion at Rameshwaram Restaurant: Peace in the bustling Brookfield area of Bangalore's Whitefield was shattered when a low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off on the afternoon of March 1 in Rameshwaram Cafe, driving customers helter-skelter.

- ST RAMESH

The image of the suspect who placed the IED in a corner of the restaurant was captured on CCTV. The case had internal security ramifications and was rightly handed over to the National Investigation Agency. After the investigation, a chargesheet was filed against Abdul Matheen Ahmed Tahaa, Mussafir Husein Shazib, Maaz Munir Ahmed, and Muzammil Shariff. Fortunately, no one died, but nine persons were injured.

Alleged serial molestation and rape: In April, several pen drives were distributed in Hassan district and made available at random public places, containing videos of molestation and rape of women. The accused in the rape and molestation is Prajwal Revanna, scion of the Deve Gowda clan and former MP. The state government constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate two rape cases and a case of kidnapping. Earlier, he flew to Germany immediately after the elections, but was arrested on his arrival at the Bangalore airport and he has since been under judicial custody. There are uncorroborated reports that serial rape and molestation under duress were committed at various locations against different women, young and not so young, some of them married with children.