Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has petitioned the Karnataka High Court to quash a sexual harassment case filed against him. This follows a notice issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for him to appear for an inquiry.

Yediyurappa faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code, based on a complaint by a woman alleging that he sexually harassed her 17-year-old daughter in February. The incident reportedly occurred when the mother-daughter duo approached Yediyurappa for assistance.

In his petition, Yediyurappa denied any wrongdoing and accused the complainant of habitual false accusations. He mentioned that he complied with a police inquiry on April 12, shortly after the FIR was lodged, but noted that the officers only retained an audio sample of his voice rather than officially recording his statement. Yediyurappa also highlighted that the complaint lacked specific details of the alleged crime and urged the High Court to dismiss the case.

A court here on Wednesday remanded former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual abuse against several women, to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) till June 18.

The court had on June 10 sent him to 14 days of judicial custody, but the SIT today sought a body warrant against him in connection with a cybercrime case.

The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court granted the SIT’s request. With this, SIT secured the custody of Revanna till Tuesday.

The court, following Revanna’s arrest on May 31, remanded him to SIT custody till June 6, and later extended it till June 10.

The 33-year-old grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had failed in his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the recent polls.

SIT officials arrested Revanna soon after he landed at  Kempegowda International Airport from Germany on May 31.

He had left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to the polls. A ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on his whereabouts had earlier been issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation.

A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant against Revanna on May 18, following an application moved by the SIT.

He was arrested in a case registered against him in Holenarasipura in Hassan district on April 28. He was accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid. He is listed as accused number two, while his father and MLA, H D Revanna, is the primary accused.

Prajwal Revanna has been booked in three cases of sexual assault. There are also charges of rape against him.

The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26.

JD(S) suspended him from the party after cases were filed against him.

On Wednesday, Karnataka High Court permitted the State Government to extend the deadline for installing High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) till August or September.

The divisional bench comprising Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind heard the petitions filed by BND Energy Limited and others to direct the State Government to extend the deadline for installing HSR plates, on Wednesday.

“Vacation bench of the High Court had directed the state government not to take any action against the petitioner for not installing HSRP on May 21. Now the state government has stated that the deadline for HSRP would be extended till August-September. So the May 21 order has been rectified”, the court said.

Advocate Aditya Sondhi, representing the petitioners, had brought to the notice of the judges that the earlier order by the court preventing any action on his clients would terminate on that day. Advocate General Vikram Huilgol stated that “the government has decided to extend the deadline for installing HSRP till August or September. However, the vacation bench has ordered not to take any actions on May 21. So the government couldn’t release notification with extended deadline. So, the honorable court must rectify the May 21 order. A notification with extended deadline will be released within a week, if the bench permits”.

After hearing the arguments, the court postponed the hearing till July 4.

Police have arrested Kannada cine star and murder accused Darshan Thoogudeepa’s close aide Nagaraj and co-star Pradosh, sources said.

According to police sources, Nagaraj was looking after all the dealings of Darshan. He was also taking care of Darshan’s farmhouse in Mysuru. Nagaraj was on the run ever since police arrested Darshan, his friend actress Pavithra Gowda and 11 other henchmen. Police sources did not divulge details about Pradosh’s role in the murder.

Pradosh had worked in minor roles in some movies where Darshan played the lead. Darshan and his gang has been arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy from Chitradurga on June 8 night for allegedly sending lewd messages to Pavithra. His body was then thrown in a stormwater drain at Kamakshipalya police station limits. Police got to know about the murder when a food delivery boy alerted them about dogs eating the body of a man.

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Monday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for appointing him as Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries in the union government.

The former Karnataka chief minister took oath as the Cabinet Minister in the NDA government headed by Modi on Sunday.

“I am deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi , for appointing me as the Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, in its third consecutive term,” Kumaraswamy posted on ‘X’.

The 64-year-old Vokkaliga leader had earlier made no secret of his desire to become Agriculture Minister.

Kumaraswamy defeated Venkataramane Gowda of the Congress by a margin of 2,84,620 votes in the Mandya Lok Sabha segment.

Nine trekkers from Karnataka lost their lives in Uttarakhand due to extreme weather conditions, officials said on Wednesday.

A 22-member trekking team was sent by Himalayan View Trekking Agency, Maneri, on May 29 on a 35-km long trek from Uttarkashi.

The team constituted 18 trekkers from Karnataka and one from Maharashtra, besides three local guides, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday instructed the officials concerned to take necessary action for safe rescue of trekkers and to bring the bodies of the deceased to the state immediately.

Earlier in the day, the Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department, Rashmi Mahesh, told PTI that four trekkers from Karnataka died while rescue operations were on to save the others trapped at Sahasratal in Uttarakhand. The District Magistrate of Garhwal was monitoring the rescue operation.

However, later, the death toll rose to nine.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda left for Dehradun to monitor and coordinate the rescue operation.

In a statement released by his office, the minister said that a team of trekkers from Karnataka started their trek on Tuesday morning in the high altitude area of Shastratal Mayali in Uttarakhand. After reaching the destination, the team tried to return to the camp again. However, on the way back, the weather turned completely bad at 2 pm due to a blizzard and they were stranded.

“Last night, we came to know that trekkers from Karnataka are in danger due to adverse weather conditions. As soon as we came to know the matter, the Uttarakhand government, Mountaineering Federation of India and the Home Department of the Central Government were contacted through the district administration. With their help, the rescue operation is being carried out,” he said.

According to Gowda, emergency rescue operations started on Tuesday evening with the help of locally available helicopters. Also, an Indian Air Force helicopter reached Uttarkashi at 9 am on Wednesday to rescue the trekkers, and a disaster management team started moving towards the camp by land route this morning.

Some trekkers have been rescued and were sent to a safe place in Dehradun.

“I spoke to one of the trekkers and gathered accurate information about the current situation there. The work to rescue the rest is in progress and the Government of Karnataka has already started all its efforts to rescue the trekkers. I left for Dehradun on Wednesday afternoon to assist in this operation,” he said.

“Unfortunately, there have also been reports of some trekkers dying, which we are trying to reconfirm with local authorities and private agencies. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed us to make all efforts to retrieve the bodies of the deceased trekkers. We are in touch with the Uttarakhand government and are going to work in this regard,” he added.

Later in the evening, a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office said that bodies of those who had gone on a trek to Shastratal Mayali in Uttarakhand and died due to inclement weather would be handed over to their families and the rest of the trekkers who were rescued would be brought safely to the state.

In this regard, the Chief Minister has spoken to the Revenue Minister as well as the rescued trekkers in Dehradun over phone.

“It is very painful to know that the death toll has risen to nine. I pray for the departed souls to rest in peace. All those rescued should be safely brought home without any disturbance. Instructions have been given to Minister Krishna Byre Gowda that all the necessary procedures should be carried out immediately in order to handover the bodies to the families,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

Speaking to the trekkers who were rescued and brought to a safe place, the Chief Minister assured that all efforts are being made at the level of the government to bring everyone safely.

“Those who have already been rescued through the rescue operation have been brought back to a safe area and some trekkers are yet to be rescued. Adverse weather is severely hampering rescue operations and our government is trying its best to bring everyone to safety,” the Chief Minister added.

Bengaluru: To bring more awareness about snakebite prevention as well as to prevent snake persecution, a first-of-its-kind WhatsApp chatbot has been launched in Mysuru.

Incidentally, in February, Karnataka also became the first state in India to declare snakebite as a notifiable disease.

The chatbot, launched by Humane Society International (HSI) India in collaboration with The Liana Trust, an organisation that engages in conservation efforts by educating people, provides easily accessible information about snake species found in Mysuru.

They also provide lifesaving snakebite first-aid, snakebite prevention tips, and myth-busting around misinformation about snakes that can lead to acts of cruelty.

“Snakebite is a mass problem which requires a mass solution. As per our survey in the Mysuru district, WhatsApp is one of the most used digital apps. Hence, this is an easy platform to reach many people with vital information that could save human lives and prevent snake persecution. Just as preventing a bite from occurring is important, knowing the right first aid once a bite occurs is crucial too,” said Vinod Krishnan, Human-wildlife Coexistence Manager at HSI India.

According to Krishnan, people have an innate fear of snakes mostly due to lack of information about them. This often leads to snakes being killed or relocated to alien habitats where they have little chance of survival. The chatbot is meant to address this information vacuum and empower local communities to take swift and informed action when snakes are encountered.

The automated chatbot, accessed via a QR code or messaging ‘Hi’ to +91 9154190472 disseminates engaging visual content in English or Kannada, making it easy to understand.

The aim is to reach at least one lakh users by this year to foster coexistence with snakes, added Krishnan.

India witnesses 10 lakh snakebites a year leading to nearly 58,000 human snakebite-related deaths annually and nearly 2 lakh cases of morbidity. Karnataka alone reported 6,500 snakebites in 2023, stated a press release issued by HSI India.

It is also a neglected tropical disease classified by the World Health Organisation, taking a devastating toll on the socioeconomics of households and the mental health of those affected, according to the statement.

Gerry Martin, founder of The Liana Trust, said the chatbot will also aid policymakers. “The chatbot is a great way to have a continuous dialogue with the community, assess the information they are accessing the most, and add further layers to this such as information on the nearest hospital, ambulance services, and so on in the future.”

Incidentally, India launched the National Action Plan for prevention of snakebite envenoming — a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins in the bite of a venomous snake, according to the WHO — on March 12, which directed states to draw up their plans to halve deaths and disabilities due to snakebites by 2030.

Bengaluru: The arrest of Prajwal Revanna will not impact the Janata Dal (Secular) [JDS], asserted G.T. Devegowda, President of the JDS core committee, on Friday. Devegowda expressed the party’s support for the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) probe into the sexual assault case involving Prajwal, emphasizing the importance of punishing wrongdoers.

Devegowda addressed the media after a meeting at a private hotel in Bengaluru, which was convened in the context of the Legislative Council elections for the South Teachers Constituency.

Regarding Prajwal Revanna’s arrest, Devegowda stated, “We have suspended Prajwal from our party. An investigation is underway, and there is public outrage over the lack of action against those who shared the video. We will not interfere in the investigation. It must be impartial and just. Our demand is for an unbiased investigation.”

He further emphasized that the party stands firm on ensuring justice for the victims. “If Prajwal has done something wrong, he must be punished. His arrest does not affect our party,” GT Devegowda reiterated.

GT Devegowda also commented on the suicide case of Chandrasekhara, Superintendent of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation, who left a death note implicating the minister. “There is a demand for the minister’s resignation. The minister should have resigned in light of the death note. Now, the public is demanding his resignation,” he said.

When questioned about Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s allegation of witchcraft against the JDS, Devegowda responded, “D.K. Shivakumar knows what he is talking about. He should explain it. Kumaraswamy is in Madikeri and has nothing to do with it. Kumaraswamy has stated he would never engage in such activities.”

The press conference was attended by MLA C.N. Balakrishna, H.P. Swaroop Prakash, former MLA K.S. Lingesh, H.K. Kumaraswamy, JDS leader N.R. Santosh, and media spokesperson Hongere Raghu, among others.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was arrested after completing due process, and further legal procedures will follow.

He said the arrest will help the Special Investigation Team formed by the state government to probe cases against the Hassan MP.

Prajwal was arrested at the early hours of Friday by the SIT, minutes after he arrived from Germany.

“Prajwal Revanna landed around 12.40 am -12:50 am from Germany’s Munich. As there was an arrest warrant against him, SIT accordingly arrested him and took him into custody and further legal procedures they will follow today. I’m yet to discuss with our officials,” Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “As of now, the only information is that he (Prajwal) has come. He has been arrested and according to law, what action should be taken, like — medical examination, presenting him before the judiciary. All those procedures will follow, including questioning him.”

“…naturally he should have cooperated to the arrest. His immigration papers were cleared and he was brought out (of airport). As he had a diplomatic passport, things happened easily, after completing all the due process, he was arrested,” he added.

Asked if the government will appeal to more victims to come forward, now that Prajwal has been arrested, Parameshwara said, “We have already said, those who have faced trouble from him to come forward and give complaints to SIT and police, and we will provide them all kind of protection. We will have to wait and see further developments.”

To a question about reports that Prajwal had destroyed evidence in his phone and is claiming that he has lost the phone, the minister said that he was not aware of it and hadn’t heard from SIT on the same.

Responding to a question about whether the arrest was delayed, the Home Minister said, if Prajwal was in the country or in the state, a team could have been sent to secure him, but as he was abroad there were certain procedures to be followed.

“So through CBI, Interpol was informed and a Blue Corner Notice was issued against him. Those procedures were followed. Knowing all those things and thinking that in case, the Lok Sabha poll results go against him, the diplomatic passport would be withdrawn, and he will have to come back, he had issued a video statement that he would surrender on May 31. He has come now. It will help SIT in the investigation,” he added.

The 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges sexually abusing many women. He has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault. There are also charges of rape against him.

He had left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls. A ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on his whereabouts was issued by the Interpol earlier, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal, following an application moved by the SIT. The Congress-led Karnataka government has urged the Centre to cancel his diplomatic passport.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show-cause notice to Prajwal asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him.

Prajwal Revanna

Bengaluru: Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was taken to hospital for medical examination under tight security on Friday, police said.

Escorted by female police officials, he was taken to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital here.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations against Prajwal arrested him as soon as he landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in the wee hours of Friday.

The 33 year-old MP, who arrived from Germany’s Munich, was taken to the CID office for interrogation, sources in the SIT said.

The SIT is also contemplating a potency test on Prajwal.

A potency test is done to ascertain that a rape accused is capable of committing sexual assault on victims.

Prajwal, grandson of Deve Gowda and the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of sexually abusing many women. He has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault.