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Showing posts from April, 2026

Karnataka: Six get death penalty in BJP Yuva Morcha leader murder case

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​ Koppal: A local court in Gangavathi town in Koppal district of North Karnataka on Thursday, April 30, awarded the death penalty to six persons in connection with the murder of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Venkatesh Kurubara 34.​ The convicted persons have been identified as Ravi, Vijay, Dhanraj, Bharat, Saleem Mohammad Rafeeq, and Gangadhara Gouli. ​The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on each of them. ​The verdict was delivered by Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik. ​ Venkatesh Kurubara was murdered on October 7, 2025, in Gangavathi town due to personal enmity. ​The incident created a major stir in political circles. ​The assailants had allegedly conspired and carried out the killing in a highly brutal manner. The police had arrested 12 accused in connection with the case and later filed a 927-page chargesheet before the court. ​ The court had earlier acquitted the accused Karthik, Dadapeer, Mohammad Altaf, Mallikarjuna, Akkirotti Sharana, and Chaitra...

Protect vulnerable from heatwaves: NHRC to Telangana, 20 states, UT 

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New Delhi: Pointing to the disproportionate impact of rise in heatwave frequency and intensity on the marginalised sections, the NHRC on Tuesday, April 28, asked 21 states and Delhi to take advance action to protect the vulnerable population. The elderly, children, infants and newborns are especially susceptible to the health impacts of extreme heat. Additionally, heatwaves can lead to the loss of livelihoods and an increased risk of fire accidents, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement. Mercury levels have soared in various states in the country over the past few days and in Telangana, temperature readings have breached the 45 degrees Celsius mark at many places. In this context, the NHRC asked 21 states and Delhi to take advance action and implement relief measures to protect the vulnerable population during heatwaves. The states are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam , Bihar, Chhattisgarh , Gujarat, Haryana , Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka , Ker...

Show restraint, disruption of standup show unacceptable: TDP to cadre

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Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday, April 27, said that the disruption of comedian Sarat Uday’s show by its cadre was “unacceptable” and “inconsistent with democratic conduct”. The statement was issued by TDP Andhra Pradesh (AP) chief Palla Srinivas Rao two days after the incident transpired in Bengaluru’s Koramangla. On April 25, Angry supporters of the TDP disrupted Sarat Uday’s Bengaluru show and verbally abused the Hyderabad-based artist in the middle of his performance over jokes cracked on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu over two years ago. Despite Sarat apologising earlier for it, the miscreants still forced him to issue another apology in front of the audience. According to UNI, addressing the issue, Palla Srinivas Rao said that objections to any form of expression must be addressed “strictly” through due process. “In a democracy, dissent must operate within the framework of law. Taking matters into one’s own hands is unaccep...

Bengaluru’s TCS World 10K draws over 36,000 runners

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Bengaluru: Over 36,000 runners participated in the TCS World 10K Bengaluru, the city’s distance running event described as its most prestigious, in its 18th edition here on Sunday, organisers said. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot flagged off the run, along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and other dignitaries. At the flag-off, the event’s global appeal was evident, with running enthusiasts from various countries lining up. The 56-year-old Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, also took to the start line along with his sons, Zahid and Zamir, a release said. VIDEO | Bengaluru, Karnataka: J&K CM Omar Abdullah participates in the TCS World 10K Marathon. (Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC ) pic.twitter.com/5pT9rJV96G — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2026 Interestingly, Abdullah finished ahead of his sons, clocking an impressive 50 minutes, while Zahid and Zamir finished six minutes later, it said. “It...

Bengaluru: Naidu, TDP supporters disrupt standup show over 2-year-old joke

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Hyderabad: Angry supporters of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) disrupted a show of standup comidian Sarat Uday in Bengaluru and verbally abused the Hyderabad-based artist in the middle of his performance over jokes cracked on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over two years ago. Despite Sarat apologising earlier, the miscreants still forced him to issue another apology in front of the audience. The incident took place at Koramangala in Bengaluru on Saturday, April 25, around 7 pm and the entire incident was captured in a video. According to Sarat, the miscreants disrupted his show almost immediately after he began. This is the third incident to standup comedians being threatened or arrested for jokes on politicians from the ruling parties in Andhra Pradesh. Prior to this, comedians Anudeep Katikala and Rafiq Muhammed were booked and arrested by the AP Police for similar jokes. While Anudeep was picked up by the police from Prayagraj and taken to Kakinada, Rafiq was ar...

Affordable home sales down 23 pc in Q1 2026 in top 8 cities, including Hyderabad

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Hyderabad:  Sales of affordable homes, costing less than Rs 50 lakh each, fell 23 per cent on-year in January-March to 16,273 units across eight major cities, including Hyderabad, mainly due to lower fresh supply in this price bracket, according to Knight Frank. All eight cities of Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata reported a fall in sales in the affordable segment, making it the steepest decline across all price categories during the period. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for luxury homes has surged. Builders are attributing the lower launches in the affordable housing segment to the high cost of inputs, especially land. Also Read Telangana to implement revised land market values from May: Deputy CM As per the data, even the Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore category witnessed a decline of 12 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter of the 2026 calendar year to 23,567 units across the eight major cities. However, the housing sa...

Cultural values over personal freedom? Video of couple kissing sparks debate

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Udupi: A viral video of a young couple kissing in Karnataka ‘s Udupi district has ignited a heated debate over public decency, cultural responsibility, and personal freedom. The footage shows a couple engaged in a public display of affection on the side of an empty road in Manipal town. A bystander recorded the entire incident before confronting them. He questioned them in Kannada , but the man asked to speak in Hindi. In response, the local insisted on continuing the conversation in Kannada. The couple left the area after a while, with the woman trying to hide her face from being captured in the video. A viral video of a young couple kissing in Karnataka's Udupi has ignited a heated debate over public decency, cultural responsibility, and personal freedom. The footage shows a couple engaged in a public display of affection on the side of an empty road in Manipal town, as a… pic.twitter.com/nVEV0X6vZF — The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) April 25, 2026 The local cl...

Bengaluru growth hit by airport curbs, Karnataka Dy CM tells Rajnath Singh

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Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday, April 24, urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider the restrictions on the height of buildings around defence airports in the city. Shivakumar met Singh in New Delhi, where he held detailed discussions on the issue, according to a statement issued by the deputy CM’s office. “Shivakumar raised concerns about the impact of these restrictions on development in several parts of the city and urged the defence minister to adopt a balanced approach that ensures aviation safety while supporting Bengaluru’s growth,” the statement said. Also Read Hyderabad- Hubballi flight diverted to Bengaluru amid bad weather In his letter to Singh, Shivakumar highlighted “the excessive restrictions” imposed by the authorities of defence airports in Bengaluru while granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for construction within a 20-km radius of the airports, as per the prevailing rules. “Bengaluru is one of the fastest-g...

Bengaluru residents confront ex-army officer after wife calls man ‘terrorist’

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Bengaluru: Residents of a Bengaluru apartment confronted a former army officer and his wife, who allegedly called a Muslim man “Pakistani” and “terrorist,” after learning of his religious identity. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, with the residents standing outside the couple’s apartment door, stating that such behaviour would not go unchecked in Karnataka. “Yeh tumara baap ka ghar nai hai. Yeh Karnataka hai (This isn’t your father’s house. This is Karnataka),” said one of the men leading the residents. The elderly man replied that he worked in the Defence Department and was an army officer, in an attempt to intimidate the group. “If you were in the army, then you should be more patriotic,” the man retorted. “How can your wife call someone a terrorist after asking if they are Muslim?” The man brushed it off and said she must have said that during the argument when tensions were escalated. “ Woh jaghde me hogaya. Abhi chod do (It was during the argu...

Karnataka govt cancels homestay’s licence after US tourist sexual assault

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Bengaluru: In view of the sexual assault of an American woman tourist in Karnataka’s Madikeri district, the Tourism Department on Thursday, April 23, issued an order cancelling the licence of the homestay where the incident occurred. The American tourist, who had come to India on a trip, was staying at Devi Villa Homestay in Kutta village. During her stay, the cook, identified as Vrijesh Kumar, a native of Jharkhand, allegedly mixed an intoxicating substance into a sweet drink and gave it to her. According to the complaint filed by the victim, he sexually assaulted her after she lost consciousness. Following the incident, the Tourism Department has shut down the homestay — whose licence had been issued only in January 2024 — citing failure to ensure tourist safety and involvement in illegal activities. The district administration has also issued strict instructions stating that all homestays in the district must mandatorily adhere to tourist safety regulations. It can be recalled...

Karnataka: Man objects to wife wearing nightdress, sets her ablaze

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Belagavi: A 34-year-old man allegedly set his wife ablaze at their residence in the district after objecting to her wearing a nightdress instead of a sari, police said on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Nandgad village of Khanapur taluk on April 19, they said. The accused, identified as Krishna Patil, allegedly objected to his 27-year-old wife Manjula Patil wearing a nightdress at home and frequently argued with her over the issue, police said. “There was a heated altercation between the couple. The woman was unwilling to attend a function organised by his relatives. Her husband insisted that she attend, but she refused, which led to the dispute,” K Ramarajan, Superintendent of Police (Belagavi), told reporters. Also Read Woman sets lover on fire under pretext of ‘western-style’ proposal “He allegedly threatened to burn her dress if she did not change from a nightdress into a sari. When she refused, he allegedly made two attempts and, on the third attempt, set the dress on...

Iran war’s unlikely casualty: Diet Coke faces shortage across Indian cities

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Hyderabad:  Diet Coke has become an unlikely casualty of the Iran war, with the sugar-free soft drink disappearing from shelves in several major Indian cities amid a deepening shortage of aluminium beverage cans triggered by supply disruptions in the Gulf. The shortage, which first surfaced in Mumbai, has since spread to Bengaluru , Pune and parts of Delhi-National Capital Region, just as the summer is driving double-digit growth in cola and beer sales, the  Economic Times  (ET) reported. The Gulf accounts for around 9 per cent of global aluminium production, much of which has been trapped since the end of February by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz,  Reuters  reported. Also Read 3 reasons war between US, Israel and Iran is headed for frozen conflict Why Diet Coke is hit hardest While can shortages are affecting all soft drinks, Diet Coke has been particularly hit by the supply crunch because it is sold almost entirely in aluminium cans, unlike ...

Woman sets lover on fire under pretext of ‘western-style’ proposal

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Bengaluru: A 27-year-old man was allegedly charred to death on Tuesday, April 21, after a woman he was in a relationship with set him on fire at her house, police said. The deceased, identified as Kiran, a native of Tumakuru, worked at an outlet of a mobile service provider, they said. The incident occurred in the city’s Byadarahalli area at around 2 pm. A cloth was found tied around his eyes when police inspected the scene of the crime. The woman allegedly blindfolded Kiran and tied his hands tightly to a chair. When he questioned the purpose of the strains, she just said, “This is a western-style proposal, just stay quiet.” Following the reassurance, Kiran stopped resisting. She then set him ablaze after dousing him in kerosene, police said. Unable to move and escape, Kiran died on the spot. A 27-year-old man was allegedly charred to death on Tuesday after a woman he was in a relationship set him on fire at her house, police said. The deceased, identified as Kiran, a nat...

Four people held for running prostitution racket in Bengaluru

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Bengaluru: Four people, including three women, have been arrested for allegedly running a prostitution racket in spas and a house in the city, police said on Tuesday, April 21. In the same operation carried out by the Women Protection Wing of the Bengaluru Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB), six women who were allegedly forced into prostitution by the accused were also rescued, they said. According to police, Based on credible information received from informants on various dates, officers and staff of the CCB ‘s Women Protection Wing learned that prostitution activities were being conducted by keeping women in spas located Marathahalli area, near Sunkadakatte as well as in a house in Manjunatha Nagar in the city. Following this, raids were conducted at the identified locations on different dates during which, six women who were allegedly forced/induced into prostitution by the accused were rescued, the Bengaluru Police said in a statement. Also Read Telangana HC grants bail ...

Meesho allots over 94.79 lakh equity shares to employees under ESOP

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New Delhi: E-commerce firm Meesho has allotted nearly 94.8 lakh equity shares to its eligible employees under the company’s employee stock ownership plan. “We wish to inform you that the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors of Meesho Ltd, by way of a circular resolution passed on April 20, 2026, has approved the allotment of 94,79,380 equity shares of face value of Re 1 each to the eligible employees, upon exercise of vested options under the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) 2024 Plan. The said equity shares shall rank pari-passu with existing equity shares of the company in all respects,” Meesho said in a regulatory filing. Following this allotment, the issued, subscribed, and paid-up equity share capital of the Bengaluru -headquartered company has increased from Rs 456,40,55,196 to Rs 4,57,35,34,576. Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegra...

ED raids Karnataka Cong MLA’s sons, grandson of K Rahman Khan in PMLA case

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Bengaluru : The Enforcement Directorate on Monday, April 20 raided the sons of Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris, grandson of ex-Union cabinet minister K Rahman Khan and some others in a crypto currency-linked money laundering case , officials said. More than a dozen premises in the city have been covered as part of the action executed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This includes the premises of Mohammed Haris Nalapad and Omar Farook Nalapad, the sons of the MLA, Aqeeb Khan, the grandson of veteran Congress leader and ex Union minister in the UPA regime K Rahman Khan and an alleged crypto hacker named Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki, they said. The money laundering case stems from some Karnataka Police FIRs and chargesheets filed in a 2017 case of hacking of national and international websites, stealing of bitcoins and sale of these ‘stolen’ virtual digital assets (VDA) through crypto platforms by the alleged hacker Sriki and his associates. Mo...

Hyderabad- Hubballi flight diverted to Bengaluru amid bad weather

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Bengaluru: A Fly91 flight from Hyderabad to Hubballi was diverted to Bengaluru due to adverse weather conditions, with airport officials maintaining that all passengers were safe. The incident caused panic among the passengers as the aircraft remained airborne for three-and-half hours on Sunday. Some of the scared passengers were in tears and started praying for their safety. The flight, which departed Hyderabad at around 3 pm, was scheduled to land in Hubballi at about 4.30 pm but was unable to do so due to unfavourable weather, sources said. Due to bad weather, the flight from Hyderabad to Hubballi was diverted to Bengaluru, an airport official said, adding that such diversions are a standard safety measure. Also Read 2 Hyderabad-bound flights diverted to Gannavaram in AP due to fog According to the official, the aircraft hovered over Hubballi for about an hour in anticipation of improvement in weather conditions before being diverted. “This is general practice. Aircraft c...

Party of illiterates: Tejasvi Surya calls Congress over Telangana-AP partition remark

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Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday, April 19, called the Congress “a party of illiterates” amid the uproar over his recent speech comparing the bifurcation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to India-Pakistan partition. “I really feel the Congress party is a party of illiterates. They should go and listen to what I have said and try to understand it. The sentences I have spoken are simple. I do not want to justify or glorify their ignorance with a response. I want the Congress party to try to understand what I have said. The Congress party is either deliberately ignorant or suffers from deliberate ignorance,” he told reporters. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday called the Congress "a party of illiterates" amid the uproar over his recent speech comparing the bifurcation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to India-Pakistan partition. "I really feel the Congress party is a party of illiterates. They should go… pic.twitter.com/IMSoTX3ohl —...

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals’ David Miller’s last-over exploits sink RCB

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Bengaluru: David Miller sort of redeemed himself with two last-over sixes after KL Rahul made a 57 rooted in classicism and Tristan Stubbs produced an equally chic 60 as Delhi Capitals edged Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in their IPL 2026 match on Saturday. Considering the slow nature of this particular Chinnaswamy strip and the quality in RCB bowling ranks, the chase of 176 was never going to be straightforward. Miller (22 not out 10b) could not take Delhi home in the outing against Gujarat Titans when they needed two off 2 balls, inviting sharp criticism. However, he did not make any mistake today, hammered Romario Shepherd for two huge sixes as DC, who needed 15 runs off the last over, scampered home and RCB crashed to their second defeat of the season. DC found saviours at various times in Rahul (57, 34b), Stubbs (60 not out, 47b) and Axar Patel (24 retired hurt) to make 179 for four, ending a two-match losing streak. Rahul played an innings of rare qual...