Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

In a major relief for JD(S) leader and former minister H.D. Revanna, the Special Court of Magistrate for criminal cases against former and present MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru has discharged him from the allegation of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid when she was working at his house in Hassan during 2020.

The special court said that both the complainant and the prosecution had failed to provide reasonable explanation for the court to take cognisance of the alleged offence under Section 354A (sexual harassment) of the IPC by condoning the delay, under Section 473 of CrPC, of over four-year in lodging the complaint.

Indicating that the complainant may have forgotten the alleged incidents involving Mr. Revanna as memory fades if the offences are not severe in nature, the Court said that subsequent serious offences of alleged rape by Prajwal Revanna might have, as an afterthought, made the survivor complain against Mr. Revanna.

The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has allowed visually Impaired students registered for II PUC and SSLC exams from the current academic year to write the exams in a digital format through computers. Reader-cum-scribe facility has also been provided.

Use of the computer, which is not connected to the internet, will be limited to only typing answers. The candidate will have to bring his/her own computer or laptop duly formatted and the Centre Superintendent will allow such a candidate after an inspection by the Computer teacher.

The maiden flight of the Dhruv NG multi-role helicopter was flagged off by Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu in Bengaluru on December 30, 2025. Designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Dhruv NG is a 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter.

Equipped with twin Shakti 1H1C engines, the helicopter features civil-certified Glass Cockpit (compliant to AS4 requirements) and a modern avionics suite for superior situational awareness. HAL said that it is engineered to master the diverse and demanding requirements of the Indian terrain.

Various Vaishnava shrines dedicated to Venkateshwara and Lord Vishnu in Mysuru and surrounding regions witnessed high footfall with devotees making a beeline for darshan on Vaikunta Ekadasi, on December 30. In most temples, entry for darshan commenced around 6 a.m. and continued uninterrupted throughout the day.

Prominent temples including the Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy temple on the KRS Road, Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple at Vijayanagar, Venkateshwara temple at Datta Peetha in Sri Ganapathi Sacchidananda Swami Ashram, Maruti temple at Gangagotri Layout, ISKCON temple at Jayanagar etc., saw a steady flow of the devout from the crack of dawn.

A court in Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody for his failure to appear before the court in a case registered against him for his alleged inflammatory speech.

The Principal Civil Judge and JMFC, Belthangady, on December 24, rejected the application filed by Thimarody’s counsel seeking exemption from appearance. Observing that no grounds were made for his absence, the court issued a NBW against Thimarody.