Kerala

Wayanad, Dec 7 (PTI) Citing the increasing number of rape cases in the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the international community was ridiculing the country and India was now known as the 'rape capital' of the world.

Winding up a three-day tour of his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress MP also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said his (Modi's) entire political career was based on hatred and division and violence.

Kottayam(Ker), Dec 7 (PTI) A man accused of raping a minor girl in Kanjirappally, was nabbed from the district in the early hours on Saturday, police said.

Arun Suresh, hailing from Karimbukayam in the district, was picked up from Anakkallu area in Kanjirappally by a special squad of the police, they said.

Kasaragod, Dec 4 (PTI) A court here on Wednesday sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment till death for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl in 2018.

Sessions court judge P S Sasikumar also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused V S Raveendran.

Kochi, Dec 3 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered the state government to immediately take over control of a Church at nearby Kothamangalam where the authorities allegedly failed to implement a Supreme Court verdict granting its possession to the Orthodox faction due to protests by followers of rival Jacobite Christian faith.

Kannur, Dec 1 (PTI) A teacher of an aided school has been arrested here for allegedly molesting his students during coaching classes, police said on Sunday.

Saji (45), an ex-serviceman and also a local Congress leader, was caught on Saturday following a complaint from Childline stating he would touch children inappropriately, the police said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22 (PTI) A physical education teacher of a government school here was arrested on Friday for alleged sexual harassment of his students, police said.

Bobby Joseph, accused of having unnatural sex, was arrested based on multiple complaints against him, they said.

Sabarimala (Ker), Nov 18 (PTI) Amid heavy rush of devotees to the Lord Ayyappa temple here, police on Monday sent back two women devotees from Andhra Pradesh at Pamba as they were in the 'barred' 10-50 age group.

On Saturday, 10 women were turned back at Pamba, 5 km from the shrine, when the temple opened for the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku puja.

Sabarimala, Nov 16 (PTI) Amid tight security, thousands of devotees offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple when it opened for the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku puja on Saturday, though police said 10 women were sent back from Pamba base as they were in the "barred" age group.

The temple has reopened just days after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court referred to a larger bench the matter related to entry of women into the hill temple and other issues related to various faiths.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 (PTI): Over 10,000 police personnel will be posted in phases in and around Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple for security during the two-month long pilgrimage season starting November 17.

During the Mandala Makkarvillakku festival, 10,017 police personnel will be posted around the temple complex in five phases, a police press release said.

DGP Loknath Behara said there will be stringent security in and around Sabarimala during the pilgrimage season this year.

Kozhikode (Ker), Nov 6 (PTI) A court here on Wednesday dismissed the bail applications of two CPI(M) student activists, who were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly distributing pro-Maoist pamphlets.

Thaha Fazal and Allan Shuhaib, who are students of Journalism and Law respectively and CPI(M)'s branch committee members, were arrested on November 2 from here, causing widespread criticism in the Left-ruled state.