Yatnal had said half of Pakistan stays in Dinesh Gundu Rao’s house

BJP MLA Basana Gouda Yatnal

Bijapur: The Hon’ble Special Court constituted to try MP and MLA cases (42ACMM) has directed the registration of a criminal case against BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal. This decision follows a private complaint filed by Tabassum Dinesh Rao, who alleged that Yatnal made defamatory remarks targeting her and her family.

The complaint stems from a statement made by Yatnal during the Lok Sabha elections on 6 April 2024, where he addressed the media and made derogatory comments about Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, the Hon’ble Minister for Health, Karnataka, and his wife, Tabassum Rao. Yatnal reportedly stated that “half of Pakistan resides in Dinesh Gundu Rao’s house,” insinuating anti-national sentiments due to Mrs. Rao’s religion.

The inflammatory remarks were widely reported in the Praja Vani newspaper and by several regional Kannada media channels. The statement, which questioned the integrity and allegiance of Mrs. Rao to the Indian Constitution and laws, caused severe distress to her and her family, including their two daughters.

Yatnal, who has a history of making derogatory remarks against Muslims, allegedly referred to Mrs. Rao as “Pakistani” due to her Islamic faith and her inter-religious marriage. The complaint highlighted previous instances, including a speech on 6 March 2024, during the Shivaji Jayanthi celebrations, where Mr. Yatnal allegedly stated that if he were the Home Minister, he would organize encounters to eliminate all Muslims in Vijayapura.

In response to these remarks, a private complaint seeking the registration of a case for offences under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed on 15 April 2024. Evidence was presented before the court on 31 July 2024, including newspaper reports and other materials.

After considering the evidence and the content of the private complaint, the Hon’ble Special Court has now taken cognizance of the case and ordered the registration of a criminal case against Yatnal. Advocates Surya Mukundaraj and Sanjay Yadav B. represented Tabassum Rao before the court.

Hubballi: The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has rolled out a door-to-door waste collection initiative in all wards. The new system, implemented by the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Unit, aims to prevent garbage from piling up on roads, public spaces, and open sites in Hubballi and Dharwad.

The decision to introduce this waste collection system and impose fines follows growing concerns over the public’s negligence in maintaining the city’s cleanliness. Many residents and shop owners have been discarding waste in public areas, despite previous warnings from authorities.

BM Mallikarjun, Executive Engineer of the SWM Unit, noted that while initial efforts to warn the public about littering had been made, some individuals and businesses, particularly paan shops and roadside eateries, ignored these warnings. Consequently, the SWM Unit has now begun imposing fines on those caught littering. Mallikarjun emphasized that the Unit is committed to enforcing these penalties without exceptions.

As part of this enforcement, the SWM Unit has already fined several violators. For instance, residents and a hotelier in Wards 6 and 14 were traced and fined a total of ₹5,400 after waste was found dumped beside the road. Mallikarjun highlighted that the SWM Unit has a fleet of 236 vehicles dedicated to daily waste collection across Hubballi-Dharwad, handling between 450 to 500 tonnes of waste.

To further deter littering, the Corporation has installed 120 CCTV cameras in key residential areas and markets. These cameras will be monitored regularly, and any individual or business caught discarding waste in public places will face penalties. The fine for individual violators is set at ₹100, with higher fines for shop owners. Repeat offenders among shop owners may even face the cancellation of their trade licenses.

Mallikarjun urged citizens to cooperate by waiting for the Corporation’s waste collection vehicles instead of dumping garbage on the streets. He also assured that the SWM Unit would continue its stringent enforcement measures until the practice of littering is eradicated.

Shivamogga: In a preemptive move, the Shivamogga District Police conducted a surprise raid at the Central Prison early on Wednesday morning, just before the arrival of two key accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. The raid was led by Superintendent of Police (SP) GK Mithun Kumar and involved a team of 120 police personnel.

The inspection comes ahead of the transfer of Jagadish and Lakshman, two of the accused in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case, who are being relocated to Shivamogga from the Central Prison in Bengaluru.

During the search, the police team inspected all barracks and cells within the prison. While they discovered beedi and cigarette stubs, no prohibited or illegal items were found on the premises.

This raid is part of a broader security measure taken by the authorities following reports that several individuals involved in the Renukaswamy murder case, including Kannada film star Darshan, are being transferred from Bengaluru Central Prison to various other prisons across the state. Jagadish and Lakshman are set to be housed at the Shivamogga Central Prison, and the inspection was carried out as a precautionary step to maintain order and security within the facility.

Chamarajanagar: A man was arrested by Excise officials on Wednesday for illegally transporting liquor on a two-wheeler in Yalandur taluk.

The accused, identified as Shivaswamy, was caught on Honnur Road while attempting to conceal 6 liters and 520 ml of liquor in a plastic bag.

Excise personnel, who were on road patrol, seized liquor valued at ₹2,918 and a vehicle worth ₹70,000 from the accused.

Following the arrest, Shivaswamy was taken into custody and later sent to judicial custody.

The operation was led by Chamarajanagar Zone Excise Inspector Mahadev C.M., with the assistance of Sibandhis Raghu and Nagesh.

Sharath Kalyani

Shivamogga: Sharath Kalyani, local BJP media department leader, has been taken into custody by the Shivamogga Women’s Police Station following allegations of rape and fraud. The arrest came after a 43-year-old divorced woman, who works in a private company, lodged a complaint against Kalyani, accusing him of deceiving her into a relationship under the pretense of marriage.

According to the complaint filed on July 26, 2024, the woman had known Kalyani since August 31, 2023. She claimed that Kalyani had concealed his marital status and engaged in a physical relationship with her, promising marriage. The woman also alleged that Kalyani convinced her to provide financial assistance, amounting to four lakhs, citing personal financial problems.

The situation escalated when the woman insisted on marriage, and Kalyani began avoiding her. When she visited his residence, Kalyani allegedly verbally abused her, physically assaulted her, and threatened to kill her if she came near his house again.

The police have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 376(2)(n) (rape), 420 (cheating), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

A team led by a female inspector arrested Kalyani in Vijayapura taluk and brought him in for questioning.

Belagavi (Karnataka): Yamagarni village in Nipani taluk of Belagavi district recently witnessed a strange sight. A jubilant crowd paraded a black indie dog covered in garlands and held a feast in its honour. For the villagers, the return of the dog, which had been lost, is a miracle.

Fondly called Maharaj, the animal which is well past its prime, was lost in the crowd in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in South Maharashtra, but made its way back to the village in Belagavi in North Karnataka, travelling nearly 250km on its own.

In the last week of June, Maharaj had followed its owner Kamalesh Kumbhar when he went on his annual ‘Wari padayatra’ trip to Pandharpur.

Kumbhar, a ‘Warkari’, said he visits Pandharpur every year on Ashadha Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi.

For nearly 250 km, the dog followed the master, who walked with a group of his friends, chanting bhajans.

After the darshan at Vithoba temple, Kumbhar said he noticed that the dog was missing. When he went looking for him, he said people over there told him that the dog had left with another group.

“I still searched for him everywhere and I could not find him. So, I thought maybe the people were right, that he left with someone else. I returned to my home town on July 14,” Kumbhar said.

The very next day though, Kumbhar said, to his surprise “Maharaj was standing there in front of my house, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened. He looked well fed and perfectly fine.”

Overcome with happiness, Kumbhar said, he and the villagers celebrated Maharaj’s return with a feast. “It is such a miracle that the dog could find its way, although it was 250km or so away from home. We think it was Lord Panduranga who guided him.”

Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur

Mangaluru: Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur has announced the relaunch of the ‘Tiger’ operation in Mangaluru on July 29, aimed at clearing footpaths of street vendors to improve pedestrian access and cleanliness. The operation will target prominent areas of the city where footpaths are often obstructed by vendors.

Addressing reporters after a phone-in program at the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) office on Wednesday, Mayor Shetty detailed the clearance plans, which will focus on five key business zones within the MCC administration limits. These zones include two locations near Lady Goschen Hospital and one each in Surathkal, Mannagudda, and Kavoor. The operation will specifically target businesses set up in tents or permanent structures along roadsides, requiring them to vacate the space. However, pushcart vendors will be allowed to continue their trade by the roadside.

Mayor Shetty emphasized that the clearance is necessary to address pedestrian accessibility and road cleanliness. He assured that after the clearance, the MCC would provide necessary facilities to the affected businesses within a month, allowing them to continue their operations without inconveniencing citizens.

The mayor explained that the MCC had previously allowed these businesses to operate on humanitarian grounds. However, efforts to clear roadside stalls, particularly along Airport Road, had met with resistance from vendors who filed police complaints against authorities and attempted to intimidate officers, he noted with disappointment.

Mannagudda Corporator added that local residents had also raised concerns about the business zone in Mannagudda, supporting the need for action.

The press meeting was attended by Deputy Mayor Suneetha, Deputy Commissioner of the MCC Girish Nandan, and the president of the MCC Standing Committee, who all expressed their support for the operation’s objectives to restore public access and cleanliness in the city.

Mangaluru: The city police paid a surprise visit to the Mangaluru city prison at Kodialbail early Thursday morning, as directed by City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, and reportedly seized various items, including mobile phones, scissors and packets of narcotics, that had been provided to the prisoners without permission.

The investigation team included two Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) and three Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), along with other policemen. The officers had been directed by the Police Commissioner to conduct an investigation on the means of the prisoners’ access to such items in spite of tight security at the prison.

The police team that visited the Mangaluru prison has confiscated up to 25 mobile phones, 1 Bluetooth device, 5 earphones, 1 pen drive, 5 chargers, 3 cables as well as scissors and packets of narcotics of various types from the prisoners.

Kasaragod: In the wake of heavy rains and red alert from the Meteorological Department in the district, Kasaragod District Collector K. Inba Shekhar has issued orders declaring holiday for educational institutes on July, 19.

According to the order, the holiday applies to all state, CBSE, ICSE schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Anganwadi centers, and madrasas. However, undergraduate and postgraduate colleges will remain operational. The Collector’s order mentioned that there is no change in pre-scheduled exams.The district has been receiving heavy downpours accompanied by heavy winds for the past 24 hours. Several low-lying areas are flooded. Additionally, the rains have caused power disruption. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a red alert for the district on July 19.

Udupi: In the backdrop of heavy rains and red alert issued by the IMD, Udupi Deputy Commissioner Vidyakumari has issued an order declaring a rain holiday for educational institutes on July 16.

According to the media release from the DC office, all Anganwadi centers, government, aided and private primary, high schools and Pre-University colleges in Udupi district will remain closed on July 16, owing to intensified monsoon in the district.