A 56-year-old man, Sudhakar Achari, was arrested by Thirthahalli police in Shivamogga for manufacturing illegal country-made weapons. The arrest followed a raid on his house in Aklapura, where a locally manufactured firearm was seized. Sudhakar, who previously repaired firearms in the Malnad region, allegedly took to manufacturing illegal guns. He was arrested for possessing the weapon without a valid licence or permit. Police warned that manufacturing or possessing illegal firearms is a punishable offence and said stringent action would be taken against violators.
In a separate case, the Shivamogga additional district and sessions court sentenced four persons to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a total fine of Rs 1.85 lakh in a child marriage and sexual assault case involving a minor girl. The case involved a 27-year-old man from Shivamogga taluk who befriended a 17-year-old girl in 2024, entered into a child marriage with her, and sexually assaulted her. The investigation was led by then Kumsi police inspector Harish K Patil, and public prosecutor Sridhar argued for the prosecution. The court also directed payment of Rs 4 lakh compensation to the survivor.
In another initiative, Agumbe police helped construct a house for an elderly woman living in a plastic-sheet covered shelter without basic facilities. Sub-inspector Shivanagouda Patil learned of her condition during a house-to-house outreach programme and coordinated with the Shivamogga district police and the Agumbe Lions Club to build a permanent home, named ‘Lions Kutira’, which was handed over by superintendent of police B Nikhil.