December 2025

In a shocking case of HIV-related stigma, a 23-year-old man was allegedly murdered by his sister and brother-in-law to “protect the family’s honour” in Chitradurga district, Karnataka. The victim, 23-year-old Mallikarjun, was a resident of Dummi village in Holalkere taluk of Chitradurga district. The police have arrested his sister, Nisha, in connection with the case, while her husband, Manjunath, is absconding. According to investigations, the accused strangled Mallikarjun to death after learning that he was HIV-positive. They allegedly feared that news of his medical condition would bring shame to the family. According to police, Mallikarjun lived with his parents in Dummi village. He had been working at a private firm in Bengaluru and frequently visited his family. On July 23, while travelling to his village in a friend’s car, the vehicle collided with a stationary truck, leaving Mallikarjun seriously injured. His friends also sustained injuries in the accident. They were initially admitted to a hospital in Chitradurga. For further treatment, Mallikarjun was shifted to a private hospital in Davanagere, where doctors discovered he was HIV positive during routine blood tests conducted before surgery. A rod was inserted in his leg during the operation, but doctors later advised the family to shift him to another hospital due to uncontrollable bleeding. Nisha then suggested taking him to a hospital in Bengaluru. Their father, Nagarajappa, requested Nisha and her husband to accompany Mallikarjun to Bengaluru for further treatment. On the evening of July 25, Nisha informed her father that they were taking Mallikarjun to Bengaluru. However, they later returned with his dead body, claiming he had died suddenly en route. Growing suspicious, Nagarajappa questioned his daughter and son-in-law. Nisha reportedly told him that Mallikarjun had revealed his HIV status and admitted to being burdened by heavy debts, expressing a desire to die. She further claimed that they strangled him with a blanket, believing that his HIV infection had disgraced the family and could potentially infect their parents as well. Following this revelation, Nagarajappa filed a complaint against Nisha and Manjunath at the Holalkere police station. The police have registered a case and initiated further investigation.

Five people were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a truck on the outskirts of the district headquarter town of Chitradurga on Sunday. According to police, the tragedy occurred at Sibar village in Chitradurga Taluk. All the five people in the car were killed.

he Karnataka government has proposed a fully equipped Trauma Care Centre (TCC) for Chitradurga, but a lack of space at the district general hospital is delaying the project. The ongoing construction of a government medical college on the hospital premises has left no room for the new facility. Authorities now face two choices—either shift the medical college to the city’s outskirts or establish the TCC elsewhere. The district hospital handles around 525 road accident cases monthly, ranking among the top five in Karnataka for such emergencies. However, the absence of a specialized trauma unit has forced patients, especially those with severe head injuries, to seek treatment in other districts or private hospitals. Currently, head trauma cases are referred to Shivamogga’s McGann Teaching General Hospital due to the lack of neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons in Chitradurga. The hospital, however, manages bone fracture cases, performing 170-180 surgeries monthly, the third highest among general hospitals in the state.

A teacher in Chitradurga, Karnataka, was arrested for thrashing a student over using a mobile phone. The incident happened months ago, surfaced recently, and sparked outrage. The student later left the school. A teacher has been arrested in Karnataka for assaulting a student at Shreeguru Thipperudraswamy’s residential Veda school in Nayakanahatti, Chitradurga district. A video circulating on social media shows the teacher, identified as Veeresh Hiremath, thrashing a student for using another person’s mobile phone to call his grandmother. The student pleaded for mercy, but the assault continued.

Chitradurga Power Cut  The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) issued an official statement confirming that power supply will be suspended in Nellikatte, Mathighatta, and Todaranalu—localities currently served by Devarapura power station.  The power cut is necessary to enable the safe execution of cement concrete road-laying work along the Mathighatta–Lingadahalli stretch. Virupakshappa, Assistant Executive Engineer at BESCOM, explained that shifting the electricity poles is essential for public safety and to ensure the road construction can proceed without electrical hazards, as per Jagran.  For more updates, followbescom.karnataka.gov.in or @NammaBESCOM on social media. Residents in these areas are advised to plan accordingly.  Precautions & Things To Do During Power Cut  With Chitradurga set to face a scheduled four-day power shutdown from July 9 to 12 due to infrastructure upgrades, residents are advised to stay prepared and make thoughtful adjustments to their routines. Before the outage, it’s important to fully charge mobile phones, laptops, and power banks, and to store sufficient drinking water in bottles and containers. Flashlights, emergency lights, and inverters should be kept ready and within reach.  During the downtime, people can make use of the power cut as an opportunity to slow down—by preparing no-cook meals like salads or sandwiches, catching up on offline reading or journaling, organising household items, or simply resting. Light activities like meditation, stretching, or storytelling with family members can help pass the time in a meaningful way. This planned shutdown may bring temporary inconvenience, but with a little planning, residents can manage it smoothly while staying safe and relaxed.

The partially burnt body of a 20-year-old woman, a college student, was discovered late Tuesday night near National Highway-48 in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district. Police suspect that the woman was sexually assaulted before being set on fire. Authorities have registered a murder case and launched an intensive investigation to identify the victim and bring the perpetrators to justice. Forensic teams are collecting critical evidence from the site, and police are examining CCTV footage and missing persons reports in the region. The local community has been alerted and urged to provide any information that could assist the investigation. No arrests have been made so far, and the probe is ongoing. Disturbing Discovery and Immediate Police Action The grim discovery was made near a relatively isolated stretch of NH-48 after locals noticed smoke and contacted the police. Chitradurga DySP Dinakar stated, “The body appears to have been partially burnt to conceal the crime, but early post-mortem findings indicate signs of sexual assault.” Police teams reached the scene promptly and cordoned off the area to preserve evidence. Inspector Muddu Raj confirmed that the victim was a young college student, missing for several days, whose identity is being verified through official records and forensic means. “We are working day and night to piece together the sequence of events leading to this horrific incident,” he added. The incident has deeply unsettled the community, raising fears about safety on public roads and in rural areas.