BENGALURU: A Special Court here has ordered for the registration of a criminal case against the Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on finding prima facie evidence that he had defamed an activist

“This court is of the considered opinion that the complainant has made out sufficient grounds for proceeding against the accused for offences under Section 499 of IPC which is punishable under Section 500 of IPC and the offence under Section 501, R/w section 34 of IPC,” the XLII Additional Magistrate Court which is a Special Court of trial of cases against sitting and former legislators said in its order on November 15.

The private complaint was filed by R Anjaneya Reddy from Chikkaballapura taluk. It came up before Judge Preeth J. The complainant Reddy claimed to be a social worker who had fought for irrigation schemes.

When Sudhakar was appointed as the chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board on June 20, 2019, Reddy had challenged this in the High Court of Karnataka.

The allegation is that Sudhakar on June 27 at a public function in Maralukunte village uttered defamatory statements against Reddy. This was published in two prominent newspapers.

The complaint by Reddy said Sudhakar had ill-will against him and uttered defamatory statements against him in a public function.

He had issued legal notices to Sudhakar and the two newspapers but they have not tendered a public apology.

Ordering the registration of a criminal complaint, the court said that “on going through the complaint averments and the sworn statement of the complainant prima-facie, it goes to show that the complainant is defamed”.

MYSURU: The decision of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to invite applications from ticket aspirants has set the tone for intense lobbying in the party. The aspirants have paid Rs 5,000 as application fee, besides Rs 2 lakh for general constituencies and Rs 1 lakh for SC/ST reserved seats. This will pose a challenge to the party top brass as it could encourage rebellion and dissent within the party 

There are 69 sitting Congress MLAs in 224 assembly constituencies, 16 ministers who tasted defeat in the 2018 polls and three former MPs who are aspiring to get tickets for the assembly elections to be held in 2023.  In veteran BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa’s Shikaripura constituency, there are 15 aspirants who are hopeful of getting a Congress ticket while in Terdal, which was represented by actress and former minister Umashree, there are 15 aspirants. While the Mahadevapura Reserve constituency has 14 aspirants in Bengaluru city, there are 12 hopefuls for Shivamogga Rural constituency.

The KPCC Women’s Wing president Pushpa Amarnath has also thrown her hat into the ring in Mahadevapura and Sakaleshpur constituencies. There are 11 aspirants for Mandya seat and nine in Mulbagal constituency. These aspirants have their own loyalists inside the party and many feel that their supporters will not work actively in the elections if denied tickets. There are reports that some aspiring candidates have already started panchayat-wise tours and are organising booth-level meetings assuming that they will get the ticket.

There is need for the Congress top leaders to hold constituency-wise meetings across the board to address the possible disappointment among aspirants.

A senior party leader, who did not wished to be named, said that the party is now hit by factionalism in a few constituencies and districts and top leaders in the party cannot afford to face wrath of grassroot-level workers or leaders.

ONE ASPIRANT, ONE TICKET: DKS
KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Friday sent out a clear message that every aspirant will be be allotted only one ticket in the 2023 Assembly polls. “There will be one ticket, no matter who the aspirant is”, he told reporters. In 2018, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, the then CM, had chosen to contest from Chamun-deshwari and Badami, while his son contested from Varuna Shivak-umar’s statement is being seen in the context of Sidda-ramaiah trying to contest from two seats in 2023 as well. On raising funds through ticket aspirants, Shivakumar said it is not a new thing as there used to be fund-raising initiatives in the past too. 

BENGALURU: The Ramamurthy Nagar police were shocked to see a man coming to the police station with the body of a 48-year-old man whom he had murdered. The accused, a mechanic, brought the body in his car around 1 am on Tuesday.

The murder took place after the two had an altercation over non-payment of loans, during which the accused Rajashekar (31) killed his friend Maheshappa by hitting him with an iron rod.    

Maheshappa is alleged to have taken money from Rajashekar and his mother by telling them that he would get them huge loans from co-operative societies and other banks. Instead of keeping his word, the victim allegedly escaped and was hiding at his hometown near Nanjangud.

Maheshappa was killed on the way to the city from Himanagundi. The victim is said to have conned many people by assuring them of getting bank loans at cheaper interest rates. Maheshappa is said to have gone into hiding after cheating many people. “The accused has claimed that the victim had to give him around Rs 1.5 crore. The car in which the body was brought to the police station has been seized,” said an officer.

CHENNAI: Chennai and neighbouring districts may experience heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. The depression is very likely to maintain its intensity and move west-northwestwards slowly, towards north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coastline during the next 48 hours, a Regional Meteorological Centre bulletin said here 

The evening bulletin says, “The depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwestward with a speed of 6 kmph during the past 06 hours and lay centered at 600 km east of Karaikal and 630 km southeast of Chennai. It is very likely to maintain its intensity of depression and move slowly west­northwestwards towards north Tamilnadu, Pondicherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during next 48 hours.”

Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall is likely to commence from Sunday evening.

On November 21, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Ranipet districts of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry

Heavy rain is expected in Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Vellore districts on November 22. 

Mahesh Palawat, Chief Meteorologist of SkyMet Weather Services Pvt Ltd, told TNIE: “The possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall is ruled out. There would be rainfall in the range of 40 mm to 50 mm in Chennai. The system is going to weaken into a well-marked or low-pressure area as it approaches the coast due to dry air pushing from the west. There would be few intense spells, but flooding rains are unlikely.”

Authorities said squally weather with wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely to prevail over Southwest Bay of Bengal, along and off the Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea till November 23. 

The LPA over southeast Bay of Bengal on November 18 moved west-northwestwards and concentrated into a well-marked LPA over central parts of south Bay of Bengal on November 19 morning.

BENGALURU:  The state Congress launched a frontal attack on Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan over the alleged theft of voters’ data, fraud and impersonation, by allowing private firms to revise the voters’ list. The Congress leaders said Bommai, who is in-charge of Bengaluru city, should be held responsible for the alleged theft in 28 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru. ADVERTISEMENTAds by 

AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and and KPCC president D K Shivakumar demanded a high-level inquiry to be set up by Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. 

They alleged that members of Chilume Enterprises Pvt Ltd and DAP Hombale Pvt Ltd have gone to the people claiming that they are an election management company and that they prepare EVMs for political parties. “We had so far heard that EVMs are made by the government,” the leaders said, accusing the government of being responsible for identity theft, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of property by using the service of an NGO. 

First, the private firm representatives pretended to be government officials, second, they procured fake identity cards, and third, they illegally collected information from voters, besides uploading it on a private app and selling it for commercial purposes. 

Min’s aide gave fake IDs to staff: Cong

This information is being sold to other firms as well, they alleged. The Congress leaders alleged that the main accused is Krishnappa Ravikumar, who is a close aide of a senior minister in the government. All these companies have been set up in Malleswaram constituency which is representated by the minister. Ravikumar allegedly issued fake ID cards to the staff of his private firm.

“It is a crime committed in the guise of government officials. It is an offence punishable under law. On November 16, 2022, the government issued an order stating that the permission granted to the institute has been cancelled. However, the reason for the cancellation has not been stated”, the Congress leaders said.

Meanwhile, CM Bommai defended his government by saying, “Election Commission has authorised Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and local organisations to undertake ‘Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation Program’ (SVEEP) and that survey work will be entrusted to NGOs.

This is not the first time as it has been done even in 2018. I will order a detailed probe into the matter and let the truth come out.” Meanwhile, a police complaint was filed at Halasuru Gate Police Station and Kadugodi Police Station under relevant sections of IPC.

New Delhi: RSS-linked weekly ‘Organiser’ has accused US e-commerce giant Amazon of financing a “Christian conversion module” in India’s northeastern states and being involved in suspected money laundering.

In a cover story on its latest edition, the magazine said, “E-commerce giant Amazon is financing the Christian conversion module run by American Baptist Church (ABM). There is a possibility of a money laundering ring run by multinational companies and ABM to fund India’s huge missionary conversion mission.”

In the cover story titled ‘Amazing Cross Connection’, the RSS-affiliated magazine said the Social Justice Forum of Arunachal Pradesh had alleged that Amazon was “continuously funding the All India Mission (AIM), the frontal organisation of ABM, through its foundation Amazon Smile”.

“Amazon is sponsoring the conversion module of All India Mission by donating money against every purchase by an Indian,” the magazine alleged, adding that AIM had openly claimed on its website that it had converted 25,000 people to Christianity in northeast India.

RSS-linked magazines have been critical of Amazon and termed it as “East India Company 2.0”.

RSS-linked Hindi weekly ‘Panchjanya’ in October last year had alleged that the company had paid crores of rupees in bribes for favourable government policies.

Amazon wants to establish its monopoly in the Indian market, ‘Panchjanya’ claimed, and said, “For doing so, it has started taking initiatives for seizing the economic, political and personal freedom of the Indian citizens.” 

Parmesh S Jain

The Hebbal police on Wednesday arrested a 50-year-old Physical education teacher of a government school for sexually harassing girl students .

The accused has been identified as,Anjinappa (50) year old.

Senior officer told reporters,the accused was harassing the girl students with bad touch during his physical education class for the last three months.

Initially the students ignored but when the harassment continued unable to bear,they complained to the head master,who conducted inquiry before filing a complaint with the police .

Based on a complaint from head master of the school,the police arrested the accused Anjinappa, charging him under various sections of POCSO and remanded to judicial custody.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai advised students of Kittur Chennamma Residential School to clear UPSC exams and become top rank officials.

As he landed at Chennamma Residential School in a special chopper to participate in the valedictory of national drama festival on Tuesday,he interacted with the school students for sometime.

When the students weaved at the CM convoy, Bommai got down from the car and interacted with them.

When he asked them in which class they are studying, they shouted 6th,7th,8th,9th and 10th.

The children laughed when the CM joked that his ears would hurt if all of them shout together and told them to answer one by one

Bommai asked whether they are given good food or not? For how many are you allowed to visit your houses? Are facilities good in the residential school? Are you missing your parents?
The students replied that the quality of food is very good and the facilities are good here

The students were advised to study well. He introduced Chitradurga DC G.R.G. Divya Prabhu, said “she has passed the competitive examination and become an IAS officer.

She will scale top posts in the coming days.Like her, you must also study well,appear for the competitive examinations and bring laurels to the State”.

Later, the CM posed for a group picture with the students.

Agriculture and District-In-Charge Minister B.C.Patil, Education Minister B.C.Nagesh, MP Shivakumar Udasi, MLAs Gulihatti Shekar, G.H.Tippareddy and others were present.

Parmesh S Jain

It has been decided to implement Gadag-Yelavadi railway project for which the state government will give its share of Rs.600 crore.Efforts will be made for that train to pass through Shiratti,said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Speaking at Jan Sankalp Yatra in Shirahatti town of Gadag district on Tuesday,he said approval for Tamagonda project will be given soon and Jaalawadagi irrigation scheme will be started soon.

Steps will be taken to develop Shirahatti and Mundargi as tourism spots.All Lambani tandas will be declared as revenue villages within one month and distribute title deeds for every house in tanda in a month.All their demands will be fulfilled.

The demand of Rs one crore towards Kanakadasara Auditorium at Shirahatti will be released soon.

Already, the government has distributed input subsidies of Rs.209 crore to 1.2 lakh farmers of Gadag district towards crop loss due to rains.

Besides, Rs.97 crore crop insurance money has been disbursed for the district.A sum of Rs.159 crore has come to Gadag under the PM Kisan scheme.

Former CM B.S.Yediyurappa,Ministers,Govind Karjol, C.C.Patil, B.C.Patil, B.Sriramulu and MP Shivakumar Udasi were present.

Parmesh S Jain

A 35-year-old woman ended her life after allegedly being blackmailed by her male friend with private videos demanding ransom.

The deceased Chamundeshwari,resident of Ejipura main road was working as staff at a beauty parlour and living with her husband and two minor children.

According to the police the deceased came in contact with the accused Mallikarjuna at a work place and the due become close friends .

Taking advantage of this,the accused started recording her private videos and blackmailed her demanding money .

The accused even threatened to make the videos public if the money is not paid.

Unable to arrange the money and feared of getting exposed of her relationship,the deceased ended her life by hanging and left a video clip behind to explain why she is taking the extremer step .

Based on the video clip evidence the police have registered a case of blackmail and extortion against Mallikarjuna and set a massive manhunt for Mallikarjun who is presently on the run.