New Delhi: A recent analysis of data released by the Election Commission of India has uncovered India’s leading lottery company, led by a controversial businessman, as the primary purchaser of electoral bonds. Among other notable buyers are Hyderabad-based infrastructure giant Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited, a Reliance-linked company QwikSupply Chain, mining conglomerate Vedanta, and a subsidiary of the Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka group, among others.

Future Gaming and Hotel Services, a prominent lottery giant, emerged as the top purchaser, acquiring 1,208 bonds amounting to Rs 1,208 crore. The company, with a turnover of Rs 7,000 crore, is headed by Martin Santiago, commonly known as ‘Lottery King’ Martin. However, Future Gaming has been under investigation for alleged money laundering activities.

Following closely behind is the Megha group of companies, which includes Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) and Western U.P. Power Transmission Company Ltd (WUPPTCL). MEIL purchased 966 bonds, each worth Rs 1 crore, totaling Rs 966 crore, while WUPPTCL acquired bonds worth Rs 220 crore, bringing the Megha Engineering’s total contribution to Rs 1,186 crore. The Hyderabad-based Megha group has secured numerous government projects, notably including roles in the Rs 1.15 lakh crore Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana and the Rs 14,400 crore Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project in Maharashtra.

Qwik Supply Chain Private Limited, headquartered in Maharashtra, emerged as another significant buyer, acquiring bonds worth Rs 410 crore. Notably, one of the company’s directors, Tapas Mitra, also holds directorial positions in various Reliance-affiliated entities.

Other notable purchasers include Haldia Energy Limited, Vedanta Limited, and Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital based in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.

This report is part of a collaborative effort involving three news organisations – Newslaundry, Scroll, The News Minute – and freelance journalists and is subject to further developments.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalingareddy

Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalingareddy has said that the BJP Member of Parliament for Mysore-Kodagu constituency Pratap Simha was denied ticket for issuing passes to those who threw bombs in the parliament. He was addressing the media people in the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.

“I knew that MP Pratap Simha would not get a ticket. He had given the passes to those attackers. And he was always giving unwanted statements against our government just to oppose us”, he stated.

Ramalingareddy opined that BJP had gone bankrupt as it had given ticket to a member of the royal family, in spite of having many good leaders from Mysore who have worked for the party for years.

“DK Suresh is an able Congress MP from Bangalore Rural. I shall go for campaigning in Ramanagara as I am the District Minister there. In the same way, I shall go to Bangalore South once the candidate is announced for the constituency,” he added.

Asserting that he was a good friend of Pratap Simha, Labour Minister Santhosh Lad said “Unfortunately, did not get the ticket this time which is sad. He has worked hard for the party. He might have had a wrong idea that making derogatory remarks against Siddaramaiah would bring him commendations. I feel sorry for him. BJP will lose more seats in this election.”

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh opined that all those who speak ill of the community and its leaders shall face political consequences like Pratap Simha. “He shouldn’t have been humiliated like this. May the goddess Chamundeshwari set him right,” he said.

Sullia: In a distressing incident, locals here apprehended a young man accused of sexually assaulting a girl and handed him over to the police on Wednesday night at Mandekolu.

The arrested accused has been identified as Nithin a native of Uppinangady, informed the police. Nithin worked as a conductor in a private bus on Sullia-Mandekolu.

It has been alleged that Nithin broke into the girl’s house late on Wednesday night and attempted sexually assaulting. However, alert locals caught the accused and handed him over to the police.

A case of POCSO has been registered against the accused Nithin at the Sullia Police Station.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has met the Supreme Court’s deadline by publishing data on electoral bonds, shedding light on the controversial practice of political funding in the country. However, the revelations have sparked concerns over transparency and potential influence peddling.

Among the significant findings, India’s leading lottery company, helmed by the contentious businessman Martin Santiago, emerged as the top purchaser of electoral bonds. This revelation has drawn sharp scrutiny, particularly given Santiago’s past associations and ongoing controversies surrounding his company’s financial activities.

Following closely behind is the Megha group of companies, comprising Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) and Western U.P. Power Transmission Company Ltd (WUPPTCL), which has raised eyebrows with its substantial contributions to electoral bonds. MEIL’s purchased 966 bonds, each worth Rs 1 crore, totaling Rs 966 crore, along with WUPPTCL’s acquisition of bonds worth Rs 220 crore.

The Megha group is headquartered in Hyderabad and has won several government projects, including many works part of the Rs 1.15 lakh crore Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana, and the Rs 14,400 crore Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project in Maharashtra.

MEIL was also the largest donor to Prudent Electoral Trust in 2022-23, contributing Rs 83 crore to the trust that distributes money to political parties.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the top beneficiary of electoral bonds, encashing bonds worth a staggering ₹6,060.5 crore between April 12, 2019 and January 24, 2024.

According to data released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP’s share in the total bonds encashed during this period amounted to over 47.5%.

Following closely behind, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) received ₹1,609.50 crore through electoral bonds, representing 12.6% of the total amount encashed. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress secured ₹1,421.9 crore, constituting 11.1% of the total bonds encashed, making it the second and third biggest recipient, respectively, in terms of encashment during the specified period.

Bubaneswar: Senior BJD vice-president and former MP Prasanna Acharya sustained serious injuries when his car collided head-on with a truck in Odisha’s Sambalpur district in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The accident took place at around 1 am near Baladih in Rairakhol when the former MP was on his way to Sambalpur from Bhubaneswar. His car collided with an oxygen-laden tanker.

Acharya and his PSO were admitted to hospital while his driver sustained minor injuries, police said.

Sambalpur Superintendent of Police Mukesh Bhamu said both Acharya and his PSO were out of danger. They will be airlifted to Bhubaneswar for better treatment.

Acharya has sustained injuries on his head, nose, chin and other parts of the body, doctors said.

Meanwhile, police have detained the driver of the truck for questioning.

Chennai (PTI): BJP Tamil Nadu unit president K Annamalai on Tuesday said Chief Minister M K Stalin has ‘no powers’ under the law of the land to take a stand against implementing the CAA in the state.

Outlining Constitutional provisions like the State list, Union list and Concurrent list and separation of powers including those related to legislation, the BJP leader said Stalin has taken his oath of office under the Constitution.

Though Stalin may oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) politically, he cannot take an official stand against implementing the Central law in Tamil Nadu and he does not have any authority under the Constitution to decide to not implement the CAA and related rules, Annamalai asserted.

In case Stalin insisted on such a stand, he asked if the Chief Minister was going against the oath of office.

“The extent of the Chief Minister’s knowledge on Constitution provisions is a question mark.”

CM Stalin rather than uttering ‘lie and diverting and confusing people,’ should specify the ‘mistake’ in the CAA rules, if any.

In Tamil Nadu, political parties make the ‘sin’ of causing confusion among the people by making superficial observations, he alleged.

Annamalai said the CAA is well-reasoned and it is one that grants citizenship and does not take away anyone’s citizenship. “Not even one citizenship can be cancelled under the Act.”

As regards Sri Lankan Tamils, they have also been granted citizenship according to extant rules.

India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and the nation follows the ‘principle of non-refoulement’ which prohibits transfer of individuals to their country of origin when there are grounds to believe that the person (refugee) would be at risk of irreparable harm upon return to his nation.

The BJP leader said Lankan Tamils may choose to go back to their country following return of normalcy and they have also been given citizenship by India.

In 2005, even the Congress party amended the Citizenship Amendment Act and as per that amendment, ‘no person who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh…shall be eligible for registration’ as an overseas citizen of India, he said.