12 hurt during Sankranti fire rituals

Mandya/Mysuru: A dozen people have sustained minor injuries in fire incidents in various villages of Mandya taluk during Sankranti on Sunday. On the festival, villagers followed a tradition in which they take their cattle and jump over a bonfire. During the events in many villages of Mandya, 12 people have suffered minor injuries.

The condition of one of the injured youths is serious.

In Cheeranahalli village and Hosahalli, Swarnsandra Extension of Mandya, people have sustained minor injuries. The injured were immediately admitted to the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital. One youth was critically injured, said MIMS doctors.

Pocso accused held

City police have arrested an accused under Pocso Act who has been absconding for eight years. An arrest warrant was pending against him, the police said on Monday.

The accused was booked on charges of raping a minor girl in 2013. After the chargesheet was filed against him in 2015, he went absconding. After a tip-off, he was arrested in Bengaluru. He is in judicial custody. tnn