Mangaluru: Ahead of the social and educational survey (caste census) that the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission will conduct from September 22, a meeting of Muslim jamaats and organisation leaders of Dakshina Kannada district was held under the leadership of Zeenath Baksh Jumma Masjid and the Muslim Central Committee on Wednesday evening at the Yenepoya Hospital auditorium in Mangaluru.

In the meeting, the Commission’s Secretary, Urmila B, explained how the caste census survey will be conducted and what kind of questions the teachers visiting households will ask. She later responded to the queries raised by the participants.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader, who spoke at the meeting, highlighted the importance of the survey and urged everyone to participate without fail and provide correct information. He also appealed to the public to share information with the surveyors at the earliest and extend full cooperation.

Following this, a discussion was held among jamaat and organisation leaders on how to respond to questions on religion, caste and sub-caste in the caste census.

After deliberations, the following decisions were taken:

Since the survey will be a new experience for villagers and those with limited education, there is a possibility of confusion. Therefore, social workers, activists and all community organisations must extend their support. Mosques, madrasas, organisations, local jamaats, committees, youth groups and community volunteers should take up awareness programmes among Muslims. With limited time available for preparations, immediate action must be taken.

All individuals and families in the community must be mentally prepared for the census. When government officials visit their homes, they must be welcomed with respect and given full cooperation.

Before September 22, every family should keep ready their ration card, Aadhaar card of all members above six years of age, voter ID card and other necessary documents.

Even if the questionnaire looks lengthy, there is no need to panic. People should answer only the questions they know. For questions they do not know, they can simply respond that they do not know.

In Column 8 of the questionnaire, where religion is asked, all Muslims should mention ‘Islam’.

In Column 9, where caste is asked, Muslims should write ‘Muslim’.

In Column 10, which seeks details of sub-caste, those belonging to the Beary community should write ‘Beary’. Others may mention their specific group, such as Khassab, Kasai, Attari, etc. Alternatively, they may also write only ‘Muslim’.

In Column 15, regarding mother tongue, Beary-speaking people should mention ‘Beary’. Those speaking Urdu, Nawayathi or other languages should write the name of their respective language.

The questionnaire contains 60 questions, but many of them will not apply to everyone. Such questions need not be answered, and respondents may simply say they do not know.

The meeting was attended by Zeenath Baksh Jumma Masjid President Yenepoya Abdullah Kunhi, Central Committee President Alhaj K S Muhammad Masood, S M Rasheed Haji, Hanif Haji, Abdussalam Puthige, former Mayor Ashraf, and leaders of other major organisations.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government may be forced to cut spending on key sectors such as education, healthcare, and urban development in order to fund the ambitious Rs 75,000-crore Upper Krishna Project (UKP), according to an internal note from the state’s finance department, cited by Deccan Herald on Thursday.

The UKP will require an additional expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore over the next four years, roughly Rs 18,000 crore annually, based on new compensation rates approved by the Cabinet for acquisition of 1.33 lakh acres.

According to the internal note which DH said it reviewed, the finance department stated that money for the project could be raised by implementing a 20% cut in the Rs 80,197 crore developmental outlay (excluding ‘guarantee’ schemes and committed expenditure), which would free up Rs 16,039 crore. These cuts would impact department-wise allocations for education, health, urban development, and other sectors.

Alternatively, if developmental allocations are not reduced, the state may have to scale down some of its flagship initiatives. This includes revisiting allocations under the government’s ‘guarantee’ schemes and subsidies for irrigation pump sets. This year alone, Rs 51,034 crore has been allocated towards guarantee schemes. To bridge the gap, around Rs 15,000 crore could be redirected from these programs, the report added.

Under the UKP, the height of the Almatti Dam will be raised to irrigate 5.94 lakh hectares in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Koppal and Gadag districts, making it a significant project for north Karnataka.

Fund cuts are the only way forward as resource mobilisation reportedly seems unviable. The finance department mentioned that Karnataka recorded a revenue shortfall of Rs 7,413 crore in the first five months of the current fiscal year. The state is also expected to lose Rs 6,000 crore due to GST rationalisation and an additional Rs 3,000 crore in mining tax revenue, as President Draupadi Murmu has not approved the enabling law.

New Delhi: Arrested Karnataka Congress MLA K C Veerendra, his family members and associates booked international travel tickets worth crores of rupees and these were financed through a network of mule accounts linked to proceeds from online betting websites, the Enforcement Directorate alleged on Tuesday.

The evidence suggests that the funds used for these high-value transactions were diverted from illicit online activities and funnelled through multiple intermediary accounts to obscure their origin the federal probe agency claimed in a statement.

Veerendra is being investigated as the prime accused” in a money laundering case linked to alleged cheating of public through illegal online betting.

The 50-year-old Chitradurga legislator was arrested late last month by the ED from Sikkim where he had gone on a business trip to lease a casino.

His legal team has told the courts that the charges made by the ED against him were baseless.

The ED also conducted fresh searches in this case on September 6 at Challakere (Chitradurga district) and seized a variety of gold articles worth a total Rs 24 crore.

This included 24-carat gold bullion weighing 21.43 kg, 11 units of gold coated silver bars weighing 10.98 kg and about 1 kg gold jewellery.

The agency did not specify from whose premises these gold items were seized by it under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

“After considering this seizure, cumulative seizure of proceeds of crime in this case has crossed Rs 100 crore as on date,” the agency said.

The ED has accused the MLA of “running” several online betting sites in the name of King567, Raja567, Lion567, Play567, Playwin567, etc. It has been claimed that several payment gateways were used for routing payments collected through these websites.

“ED investigation revealed that K C Veerendra his family members and associates have booked several international travel tickets worth crores of rupees, financed through a network of mule accounts linked to proceeds from online betting websites,” it alleged.

A number of luxury vehicles, allegedly used by Veerendra and his family, have been found by the ED during the multiple rounds of searches conducted by it in this case.

A Mercedes Benz registered in the name of ABH Infrastructures of Anil Gowda and a Range Rover funded” by a person named Gulshan Khattar of Fonepaisa were also found, the ED said.

Gowda has challenged the ED summons issued to him in this case before the Karnataka High Court stating the notice was a violation of his rights as a professional advocate of Veerendra.

The ED had contended before the high court that it summoned Gowda not in his capacity as a lawyer but because of his business involvement in the case.

The court has reserved its order while grating interim protection to Gowda– brother of Kusuma H, the losing Congress candidate from the R R Nagar assembly seat during the 2023 assembly polls– from any coercive ED action against him.

Bengaluru: Tenants in Karnataka who sublet rented premises without the landlord’s consent will soon face a hefty penalty of Rs 50,000, a 900% hike from the current fine, as per amendments proposed under the Karnataka Rent Act.

The Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, which includes these stricter provisions, has been cleared by the scrutiny committee headed by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil. It is expected to be tabled in the upcoming session of the state legislature, as reported by Deccan Herald on Thursday.

Currently, the penalty for unauthorised subletting is Rs 5,000 or double the amount received from subletting—whichever is higher—or imprisonment for up to one month. The proposed amendment will replace this with a fine of Rs 50,000.

In a move to deter landlords from exploiting tenants, the bill also proposes increasing the penalty for landlords who demand or receive payment for granting consent to sublet. Such landlords will now face a fine of Rs 30,000, up from the existing Rs 3,000. Imprisonment of up to one month is being dropped, according to the amendment proposed.

The amendment also targets unregistered brokers and middlemen involved in property rentals. Under Section 20 of the Act, they are required to register with the ‘controller’—typically an assistant commissioner in large cities, a senior tahsildar in smaller towns, or a tahsildar in rural areas, added the report.

Failure to register will now attract a daily penalty of Rs 25,000, a massive increase from the current Rs 2,000. Moreover, a daily fine of Rs 20,000 will be levied for each day of continued violation, compared to the existing Rs 2,000.

Chikkaballapur: The driver of the Chikkaballapur Zilla Panchayat Chief Accountant is reported to have committed suicide, blaming BJP MP Dr. K Sudhakar and his supporters for his act in his death note.

The Chief Accountant’s driver, Babu (33), who was employed on contract basis, allegedly hanged himself from a tree on the deputy commissioner’s office premises.

Chikkaballapur Rural Police, who arrived at the spot and inspected the area, found Babu’s death note, where the latter has blamed MP Dr. K Sudhakar and his supporters Nagesh N and Manjunath for his suicide.

The driver has said in his note that Nagesh and Manjunath had promised him a permanent government job during Sudhakar’s tenure as state government minister, but asked him to pay Rs 40 lakhs for it. He added that he had not only given the duo all the money he had but also taken a loan and given them Rs 25 lakh. Nagesh and Manjunath, however, did not get him the job, he has said.

The driver has said in his note, “Nagesh and Manjunath had promised me a permanent government job during Sudhakar’s tenure as state government minister, but asked me to pay them Rs 40 lakh for it. In addition to all the money I had, I took a loan of Rs 25 lakh and gave them the money. Nagesh and Manjunath, however, did not get me the job.”

Chikkaballapur District In-charge Minister Dr. MC Sudhakar opined that it was a serious allegation against the MP. He assured that the matter would be probed and due legal action would be taken against the guilty parties.

Kalaburagi: In an incident reported from Sedam taluk, medication from a quack on Wednesday for their addiction to alcohol resulted in the death of three men while a fourth patient is reported to be seriously ill.

The victims and identified as Lakshminarasimhalu (45) of Burugapalli, Ganesh Babu Rathod (24) of Shahabad, and Nagesh Bheemashappa Gadagu (25) of Madkal village. Lakshminarasimhalu’s son Ningappa Narasimhalu is under treatment at the Kalaburagi District Hospital as his health condition is critical, police have said.

The four men were treated by one Fakirappa, also known as Muthya, who is residing in Imadapura village and has been treating alcoholics using native medicine. He is said to have the treated the victims on Wednesday, but the patients fell ill after taking the medicine and were rushed to hospital.

Sedam Police have registered a case with regard to the incident, while the quack is said to be absconding.

Chikkamagaluru: In a tragic incident reported near Bannur village in NR Pura taluk, close to Balehonnur, a farmer lost his life in a wild elephant attack.

The deceased has been identified as Subbegowda, who was reportedly attacked by a wild elephant while he was at his farm near the village. According to sources, the elephant, already present in the estate, suddenly charged at him.

Subbegowda was trampled by the elephant, sustaining severe injuries that led to his death on the spot.

Wild elephant menace has been intensifying in NR Pura taluk. Just a few days ago, another fatal incident was reported where a woman laborer was killed by an elephant near Balehonnur. The recurring attacks have sparked widespread anger among villagers and farmers, who have criticized the Forest Department for its failure to control the elephant menace.

Haveri: A small vegetable vendor from Haveri, Karnataka, has been left stunned after receiving a ₹29 lakh GST notice for UPI transactions made over four years. Shankargouda Hadimani, who runs a small vegetable stall near the Municipal High School grounds, was told by tax authorities that he owed the sum based on digital payments amounting to ₹1.63 crore.

Shankargouda, who has been selling vegetables directly sourced from farmers, insists he only sells fresh produce items which are exempted from GST. He says digital payments became common as customers moved away from cash and that he has always filed income tax returns and maintained records.

According to GST rules, fresh and unprocessed vegetables are not taxable. But Karnataka’s GST department has begun monitoring digital transactions and issued warnings that any trader whose turnover exceeds the GST registration threshold must register and pay applicable taxes.

Following the department’s July 12 announcement, many small traders have reportedly stopped accepting UPI, fearing similar notices. On July 17, the department clarified that tax obligations apply regardless of whether payments are received via UPI or cash and warned of action against those trying to conceal income.

Bengaluru: Days after Russian woman Nina Kutina was taken into custody for living in a cave deep inside the forest in Karnataka’s Gokarna with her two daughters, her ex-husband, an Israeli citizen, is demanding shared custody of their daughters, saying he wants to be a father to them.

“I just want to be able to see my daughters a few times a week and take care of them, too. My concern is that if they go to Russia now, it will get tougher to keep in touch with them. So, I wish they could stay in India,” said Goldstein to PTI Videos on Wednesday.

Dror Goldstein (38), who said he lives for nearly six months a year in Goa, said he had been living separately from Kutina (40) for the last couple of years and that he “lost touch” with them when she took the daughters and left Goa a few months ago.

“I managed to find them on a beach in Gokarna, but Kutina refused to let me be with my children as I don’t live with them anymore,” added Goldstein.

He said he met Kutina in Goa around 2017 and they had been together, travelling between India and Ukraine, until they split.

He said he had left India this time around in March, and because of the war, he couldn’t come before this.

“When I heard the news, I booked a flight immediately to Bengaluru to try and meet them,” said Goldstein.

He said Kutina wants to raise the children alone.

“She told me in the beginning itself that if I don’t live in the same house, I should not be in touch with them at all,” claimed Goldstein.

When they left Goa a few months ago, Goldstein said he filed a missing report with the police.

“But now, I want to push for shared custody,” he added.

Goldstein said he has been supporting Kutina since she gave birth to his first daughter.

“I give her money every month and then come here to India to spend six months with them, as I have other obligations for the other six months. Also, the visa is only for six months,” he added.

Goldstein said his younger daughter was born in India and that Kutina has been living here (in India) for nearly five years.

“As I understand, she (Ama) is a citizen of India and should not be deported,” he said.

The girls, Prema (6) and Ama (4), were found with Kutina in a secluded cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk on July 11.

They were found living inside a cave in Gokarna during a routine inspection by the police after a landslide in the area.

Police had said that all three had lived in isolation for nearly three weeks before they were found.

In an earlier interview with PTI, Kutina said that her life in the cave was not as it was being portrayed in the media.

She also complained about the place where she and her daughters were taken after being moved from the cave.

Kasaragod: In view of the ongoing heavy rains, a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions across Kasaragod district on Thursday, July 17. Kasaragod District Collector Inbasekar K issued an order in this regard on Wednesday.

The rain holiday applies to schools, colleges, professional institutions, Kendriya Vidyalayas, tuition centres, madrasas, anganwadis, and special classes. However, examinations that were already scheduled will be conducted as planned.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that heavy rainfall will persist across Kerala over the coming days. An orange alert has been issued for the districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kozhikode on Thursday.