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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday, September 30 booked Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and some others in a money-laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR, official sources said. The officials stated the federal agency had filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to book the chief minister and others. Siddaramaiah, his wife B M Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju — from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi — and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27. The FIR was lodged after a special court in Bengaluru ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case. The order of the special court judge came a day after the high court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to investigate the senior Congress leader on allegations of

Bengaluru : The Karnataka Lokayukta will expedite the investigation into the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and will soon go ahead with the legal procedures in the case, sources confirmed on Monday. Lokayukta, which had lodged FIR naming CM Siddaramaiah as the prime accused in the case, was criticized for delaying in lodging of the case. The complainant, Snehamayi Krishna, has stated that he doesn’t have trust in the Lokayukta investigation. He had also sent the complaint of MUDA to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) through email. Sources said that in this backdrop, the Lokayukta sleuths headed by Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh will now begin the legal proceedings against CM Siddaramaiah. Sources also said that the Lokayukta police are most likely to issue a notice to CM Siddaramaiah and other accused persons, including his wife and brother-in-law, on Monday. Also Read Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah promises action on caste c

Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday promised action on the caste census report, which was submitted seven months ago, after tabling it before the cabinet. Addressing an event organised by the Alumni Association of Hostels for Backward Classes in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said the caste census was necessary to identify the backward and deprived communities. “The system where we come from should be changed. We are trying to bring that change. Our government conducted the social census to recognise and uplift the marginalised sections of society. I lost power (in 2018) and it was not implemented,” Siddaramaiah said. Also Read Mining lease case: Kumaraswamy calls ADGP probing him a ‘blackmailer’ “Only recently we received the report. I will place it before the cabinet and get it implemented,” the chief minister asserted. He added that the caste census has long been a “principle” of the Congress party. “Since 1930, caste-based data has not been gathered as part of

Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday, September 29 called ADGP of Lokayukta, M Chandra Sekhar, who heads the SIT probing the 2007 mining lease case, as a ‘blackmailer’ and ‘criminal’. “He (Sekhar) has addressed a letter to his colleagues. I know who prepared that letter and where. I will reveal it in due course of time,” Kumaraswamy told reporters here. In the letter, referred to by Kumaraswamy, Sekhar wrote, “Today an accused in Crime No. 16/14 of SIT, Sh H D Kumaraswamy, in a press conference, made false and malicious allegations and threats.” “As you know, the SIT had sought the prosecution sanction of the accused from the competent authority. This accused, who is on bail, Sh H D Kumaraswamy, has done this to deter us from discharging our duties. It appears that his objective is to create fear in the minds of officers of SIT by attacking me.” “But an accused, however high and mighty he may be, is an accused.” Let us not get demotivated by such allegations and th

A Bengaluru court on Friday, September 28 has instructed the Tilak Nagar Police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following allegations that she was involved in extorting money through the now-defunct electoral bonds. The decision comes in response to a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer of the Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP), requesting action against Nirmala Sitharaman along with other BJP leaders in the Special Court of People’s Representatives. The complaint alleges that corporate entities were coerced into purchasing electoral bonds amounting to thousands of crores, with raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) used as a pressure tactic. These electoral bonds were reportedly cashed by BJP leaders, including Sitharaman, at both national and state levels. Additionally, the complainant claimed to have submitted a detailed report to the SHO of the Tilaknagar police station on March 30, but no action has been taken despi

Chikkamagaluru: A seven-year-old boy died allegedly due to an injection overdose in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Sonesh, a resident of Kenchapura village near Ajjampura town. Sonesh’s father Ashok has lodged a police complaint against a private doctor at the Ajjampura police station. Also Read SIT raids arrested Karnataka BJP MLA’s residence, 15 other locations According to the police, Sonesh had been suffering from a high fever after which his parents rushed him to a private clinic. Ashok said that Dr Varun administered an injection to Sonesh on his back and sent him home. However, Sonesh developed blisters on the back and was subsequently transferred to a private hospital in Shivamogga. Unfortunately, he succumbed at the hospital on Friday. Sonesh’s parents alleged that the overdose of the drug caused their son’s death and filed a police complaint against Varun. Preliminary investigations have revealed Varun ho

Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges against arrested Karnataka BJP MLA N. Munirathna Naidu, including allegations of rape, honey-trapping, and other offences, on Saturday conducted raids at his residence and 15 other locations across the city. Sources confirmed that the raids were taking place at his Vyalikaval residence and other properties owned by the BJP MLA. The operation is being conducted by the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by ACP Kavitha. The team is examining documents, electronic devices, and other materials related to the rape and honey-trapping case. The SIT is being supported by experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with Superintendent of Police (SP) Sowmya Latha also participating in the search and inspection at Munirathna’s Vyalikaval residence. According to sources, the raids were triggered by information provided by the victim, who alleged that Munirathna recorded footage of sexual assaults and

Bengaluru : Kannada film actor Darshan, who was arrested in the Renukaswamy murder case and is presently lodged in Ballari district prison, has said in his bail petition that he is innocent and has been framed. The High Court bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna will hear the matter on Friday. Darshan’s bail petition further said that he has been “fixed” in the case. “Barring the major injury on the head, no major injuries were found on the body of Renukaswamy. There is no clarity on his exact time of death. There are contradictions between the statements before the court and the medical reports. There is no evidence to prove that Darshan has committed the crime of murder. The authorities have created evidence against Darshan in the case, the bail petition states. Further, the bail petition states that superstar Darshan has a fan following in Karnataka and other countries. The details of movable and immovable properties have also been mentioned in the petition. Sources confirmed

Bengaluru : The Special Court for MLAs/MPs has directed the Mysuru Lokayukta to register the case under Section 156 (3) of the Code of criminal procedure for the offences punishable under various IPS Sections, the Prevention of Corruption Act and other acts against Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. The court had pronounced the order on Wednesday, September 25. The copy of the order further says: “Acting under Section 153 (6) of Code of Criminal Procedure, the jurisdictional police i.e. Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru is hereby directed to register the case, investigate and to file a report as contemplated under Section 173 of Cr PC within 3 months from today.” Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat said to investigate the case for the offences punishable under Section 120B, 166, 403, 406, 420, 426, 465, 468, 340, 351 and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The order reads, “And also for the

Bengaluru: In a major development, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday, September 26, decided to withdraw the act which empowered the CBI to investigate freely in the state. “The provision was enabled by the government under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. The Cabinet has decided to take back the bill,” Karnataka minister for law H K Patil told reporters at Vidhana Soudha after the Cabinet meeting. He said that there are serious allegations against the Central government for following the procedure and law. “In this background, the decision was taken to withdraw the free hand given to the CBI in the state,” the Law minister said. He added that there is an allegation that the CBI is being misused and that is why the decision was taken to withdraw freehand to the CBI operations in the state. “We have seen the CBI working in a biased manner. Few are investigated during the election time while the Governor keeps on blaming the state government unnecessarily. The Supre

In a new development regarding the gruesome murder case of Mahalakshmi, a 29-year-old in Bengaluru, the prime suspect, Mukthirajan Pratap Roy has died by suicide. The incident occurred while he was on the run in Odisha, informed deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Central-Bengaluru, Shekar H Tekkannavar. Roy, who was a colleague of the victim at a clothing store, reportedly fled Bengaluru following the horrific murder. On Wednesday, September 25 Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said a special police team had been formed to investigate the case, reported the Mint . The authorities tracked Roy’s movements to apprehend him after being identified as the primary suspect. Reports indicate that Roy committed the crime due to jealousy. Roy’s dead body was recovered from a tree in Bhadrak district of Odisha on Wednesday. The initial investigations revealed that he killed himself. However, officials have not clearly stated the details of his demise. Further investigation is currently u

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police found a man, the key suspect in the brutal killing of a woman in Bengaluru, hanging from a tree in Bhadrak district, an officer said. The police on Wednesday also recovered a diary, believed to be belonging to the deceased man Mukti Ranjan Ray, in which he confessed to killing the woman whose dismembered body was found in the fridge of her house in the southern metropolis. Bhadrak SP Varun Guntupalli said Ray (30), a resident of Bhuinpur Village under Dhusuri Police Station, was the prime suspect in the woman’s murder. He was allegedly on the run following the discovery of the body parts of Mahalakshmi, a 29-year-old woman. Earlier on the day, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had said the police have information about the presence of the suspect in Odisha, and teams formed to crack the case have been sent there to nab him. “We have recovered the body of Mukti Ranjan Ray hanging from a tree. The body was handed over to his family after conduct

Former Mysuru Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha spewed inflammatory comments on the Muslim community saying, “If Hindus pick up stones, no Muslim will survive.” The comments come while speaking to reporters on Monday, September 24, during the Mahisha Dasara celebrations in Chamundi Hills. Former #BJP MP #PratapSimha , known for his Islamophobic comments and #HateSpeech , has ignited a controversy with his remarks aimed at the #Muslim community, stating that “if #Hindus pick up stones, no Muslim will survive.” Simha addressed his remarks, which were laden with… pic.twitter.com/mtSuQ05tg2 — Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) September 24, 2024 “Hindus who created nuclear bombs, don’t assume they cannot create petrol bombs,” he said. The statement is a reference to a recent communal clash in Nagamangala, Mandya district, where petrol bombs were hurled. “Hindus who run the world’s software industry, don’t assume they can’t attack you… if all Hindus take one stone i

Bengaluru : Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will not resign from the post after the High Court order in the MUDA case and that the legal fight will further be taken up as the judgement “was not satisfactory”. “We have not got justice and the judgement is not satisfactory,” said Parameshwara while commenting on the High Court’s upholding Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision on giving consent to proceed against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam case. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, “While the arguments were placed, the bench had specifically asked the counsels to present the role of the Chief Minister in the MUDA case. But, in the judgement, the role of CM is not explained. The judgement should have spoken about the CM’s role. The judgement is conveying that the observations made in the court hall and the verdict that has come are different.” Also Read MU

Bengaluru : Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday said that four police teams have been sent to Odisha to nab the Mahalaxmi murder case accused. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said that the police teams had been sent to Odisha after getting information that the accused was hiding there. “Once the accused is arrested, all details about the case will be known. Police have taken two to three persons into custody. Evidence pointed out towards the person in Odisha,” Parameshwara stated. The murder case came to light after neighbours noticed a foul smell emanating from Mahalaxmi’s house for two days and informed her relatives. Mahalaxmi’s mother and sister came to her house on Saturday and witnessed the horrifying scene. Also Read MUDA case: Bengaluru cops on high alert, security increased near CM’s house Mahalaxmi was murdered, her body was chopped into more than 50 pieces and stuffed in a fridge, police said. Though the refrigerator was operation

Bengaluru: Ever since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resounding victory in the 2019 Assembly elections, the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, which initially surfaced as a mere rumour, has been brushed aside by political parties. However, once a complaint regarding this issue was lodged by RTI activists, social activists, and political party workers with the Lokayukta, and later with the Governor, the Congress government, particularly Siddaramaiah, began to feel the pressure. With the High Court delivering its verdict on Tuesday upholding the Governor’s order to sanction action against Siddaramaiah, the case has now reached a stage that directly impacts state politics. The verdict has also dealt a significant setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s four-decade political career and threatened to tarnish his previously clean image. Also Read MUDA case: Karnataka HC rejects Siddaramaiah’s plea against Governor move What is the MUDA case? The MUDA case is primaril

Bengaluru : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no question of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigning over the High Court dismissing his petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for investigation against him in a site allotment case. He alleged that there was a “big conspiracy” against the Chief Minister, as he asserted that the latter has done no wrong in the issue and will come out clean. When questioned about BJP demanding CM’s resignation over the High Court’s order, Shivakumar said: “There is no question, the CM has not done anything wrong. He is not involved in any scam. It is a political conspiracy by the BJP against all opposition leaders in the country, this is what is going on.” Also Read MUDA case: Will talk later, says Siddaramaiah as petitioners celebrate Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said he and his party stand in support of the Chief Minister, who is doing a good job for the party and

The Karnataka High Court dismissed chief minister Siddaramaiah’s petition on Tuesday, September 24, challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for an investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. In a single judge bench, Justice M Nagaprasanna stated that an investigation was necessary and affirmed the governor’s authority to make an independent decision. The court found no evidence of the Governor’s non-application of mind in the matter. The chief minister challenged the approval given by the Governor for an investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA in a prime locality. “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require investigation, in the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside but the family of the petitioner. The petition stands dismissed,” Justice Nagaprasanna ruled, adding, “interim order of any kind subsistin

Bengaluru : Ahead of the Karnataka High Court verdict in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case on Tuesday, security was beefed up around Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residence here. The Bengaluru Police deputed two platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) at the CM’s residence The police have been directed to be on high alert to avert any untoward incidents, said officials. Speaking to reporters here, Minister for Law H.K. Patil said, “We are expecting justice in the case. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not signed any file or issued oral orders in the MUDA case.” Also Read MUDA case: Karnataka HC to conclude hearing on CM’s writ petition against Guv “The Governor while considering the case has decided in haste. The court had heard arguments and counterarguments from both sides and naturally, the verdict would be in the favour of CM Siddaramaiah,” he stated. Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil stated, “The CM has approached the High

Bengaluru: The ambitious Cauvery Phase 5 water supply project, aimed at delivering water to 110 villages around Bengaluru included into the fold of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP), is all set to be launched during Dasara, Deputy Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday. Shivakumar underlined that the ultimate objective is to ensure Bengaluru becomes water surplus. He was speaking to the media during an inspection of the ongoing work on the project. The Deputy CM visited key locations, the pipeline installations at Kengeri, and the water treatment facility at TK Halli. ಕಾವೇರಿ 5ನೇ ಹಂತದ ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರು ಪೂರೈಕೆ ಯೋಜನೆ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಇಂದು ಮಳವಳ್ಳಿ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ಹಲಗೂರು ಸಮೀಪದ ತೊರೆಕಾಡನಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿರುವ ಜಲಶುದ್ಧೀಕರಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಲರೇಚಕ ಯಂತ್ರಾಗಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿ ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಿದೆ. ● ವಿಜಯದಶಮಿ ದಿನದಂದು ಯೋಜನೆ ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸಲು ಸಿದ್ಧತೆಗಳು ನಡೆದಿವೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಮುನ್ನ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿಯನ್ನು ಕಣ್ಣಾರೆ… pic.twitter.com/NmdYCTSrl2 — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 23, 2024 He also reviewed the pump station at H