bangalore news times

Bengaluru : Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Sunday announced that the BJP and its ally JD(S) would lay siege to Vidhana Soudha here on August 24 seeking the removal of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra from the cabinet. Addressing reporters here, Ashoka alleged that Nagendra should be removed for his involvement in Rs 89 crore Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam. The BJP workers had been staging protests and day-and-night dharnas across the state for the past week and announced that the party would march from Freedom Park and lay siege to Vidhana Soudha at 9.30 am on Monday. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra would also participate in the protest, he said. “We will not stop here. Tomorrow too, we are going to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha,” Ashoka said. The former Deputy Chief Minister alleged that the Congress government was trying to suppress the truth by staging counter-protests. He said...

Haveri : Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani on Saturday, August 22, said he would convene a meeting of officials on Monday to review the sharp rise in the prices of sugar and jaggery. He said the government was yet to ascertain the exact reasons behind the increase and suspected that some wholesale traders may be creating an artificial shortage. Speaking in Haveri, Lamani said he had been occupied with the ongoing Assembly session and therefore could not hold a meeting on the issue. “We will hold a meeting with officials on Monday and discuss the reasons for the price rise,” he said. The minister said there were allegations that wholesale traders were deliberately creating an artificial shortage to push up prices. He said the government had directed officials to inspect warehouses and take action if any attempt to hoard sugar or jaggery was detected. Lamani, however, said certain aspects concerning sugar prices were under the control of the Union government and the state gov...

Bengaluru: Senior IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar has not gone missing and has travelled to Uttar Pradesh after learning about his father’s illness, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday, August 22. Kumar, who had served as the controller of examinations, came under scrutiny following Enforcement Directorate searches at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) office and other locations in connection with alleged irregularities in veterinary recruitment examinations. Reports had subsequently claimed that the officer had gone missing. According to reports, Kumar travelled to Delhi on August 20 after booking a flight at short notice. The ticket for a 3 pm flight was booked at around 1.31 pm, with Rs 30,253 reportedly paid for the ticket. Following this, a senior IAS officer approached the police commissioner seeking information about Kumar’s whereabouts. However, after officials verified the matter, Home Minister Priyank Kharge clarified that there was no mystery ...

Tumakuru: The Karnataka Forest Department arrested three people for allegedly burning the carcass of a leopard without informing forest officials at Gauragondanahalli Gate in Tumakuru taluk. The incident came to light after a video showing the leopard carcass being burnt was circulated on social media. Acting on the video, forest officials traced and arrested the three accused, GD Shivakumar, Narayanappa and Chandrashekar, all residents of Gauragondanahalli. According to officials, Narayanappa had allegedly placed a trap in his agricultural field to prevent wild animals from entering the farm. The leopard subsequently got caught in the trap and died. Instead of informing the Forest Department, the villagers allegedly decided to dispose of the carcass by setting it on fire. Some youngsters from the village recorded the incident on their mobile phones and shared the video on social media, following which forest officials initiated an inquiry. The department subsequentl...

Bengaluru: A joint operation by the Income Tax Department and Electronic City police has led to the seizure of more than Rs 10 crore in cash allegedly being transported from Bengaluru towards Tamil Nadu. The operation took place on the night of August 18 after Income Tax officials received information that a large quantity of cash was being moved towards Hosur in a Hyundai Creta with registration number KL 20 T 8629. Following the alert, Electronic City police personnel intercepted the vehicle at around 10.30 pm near a signal located beyond the BETL toll on Hosur Road. Two occupants were detained, and the vehicle was handed over to the Income Tax authorities. During the search of the car, officials discovered Rs 9 crore in cash kept inside a suitcase. One of the persons detained was identified as Sachin, 42, who is said to be linked to a jewellery establishment based in Tamil Nadu. The Income Tax team subsequently expanded the investigation and conducted a search at Sa...

Chikkamagaluru: A leopard was spotted moving freely through Huligere village in the Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru district, triggering fear among residents. The animal’s movements were captured on mobile phone cameras by villagers. In one of the photographs, the leopard was seen passing very close to an elderly woman who was standing in the courtyard of her house. Another video showed the animal resting on the compound wall of a house. The repeated sightings have raised concern among villagers, particularly daily-wage workers, two-wheeler riders and schoolchildren who have to move through the area. Residents have urged the Forest Department to capture the leopard at the earliest and relocate it to a safe habitat. Officials have also advised villagers to avoid unnecessary movement in areas where the leopard has been spotted and remain cautious until the animal is traced. Forest dept personnel arrive, clash with villagers Forest Department personnel reached the villa...