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Bengaluru : The Karnataka government has transferred IPS officer Kushal Chouksey to Chitradurga and appointed him as the district Superintendent of Police, shortly after the Karnataka High Court included him in the Special Investigation Team probing alleged irregularities in the KPSC veterinary officer recruitment. Chouksey’s transfer came two days after the High Court issued its order on September 21 constituting the SIT under the leadership of senior IPS officer and DGP Alok Kumar. The timing of the government order has generated interest because Chouksey had been assigned as one of the investigating officers in the court-directed team. The vacancy in the Chitradurga SP post arose following the transfer of Ranjith Kumar. The government has now filled the position by posting Chouksey, who was earlier working as DCP in the Bengaluru City Administration division. The officer’s latest transfer is his second posting change in less than a month. During the August ...

Bengaluru: A dedicated Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up by the Karnataka government to investigate complaints relating to fraudulent claims made before insurance companies across the state. The formation of the specialised unit comes in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court in SLP (Civil) No. 5582/2023. The apex court had directed states to establish special teams at the state level for dealing with complaints involving fraudulent insurance claims. As per the order issued by the Karnataka government on Wednesday, September 23, the SIT will be headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP). A Superintendent of Police (SP) from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), nominated for the purpose, will be part of the team. The composition of the unit includes a Deputy Superintendent of Police and three Police Inspectors, who will be nominated by the Director General and Inspector General of Police. The SIT has been given jurisdiction throughout...

Bengaluru: A demand for a Rs 8 to Rs 10 per litre increase in Nandini milk procurement and retail prices has been placed before Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar by Karnataka’s cooperative milk producers’ unions, which cited higher feed, fodder, veterinary and maintenance expenses. The delegation met Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday and explained the difficulties being faced by dairy farmers. The Chief Minister sought detailed information from officials on the proposal instead of announcing an immediate revision. Shivakumar asked for data covering the last 10 years on the increase in cattle-feed prices and the cost involved in producing one litre of milk. He also sought district-wise details of milk production, procurement by cooperative unions and the quantity sold through channels outside the unions. Officials have also been asked to submit comparative figures on milk procurement and selling prices in neighbouring states. The information will be examined before th...

Bengaluru: A brief confrontation reportedly took place at Vidhana Soudha after former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah found that his car had been moved from its usual location near the Kengal Gate while he was returning from the Assembly. Siddaramaiah, who had completed his participation in the legislative proceedings, exited through the western side of the building. As he reached the steps and proceeded towards the gate, he expected his vehicle to be ready for him. The car, however, had been shifted to a designated parking area by police personnel following instructions from Vidhana Soudha DCP Yogesh. Siddaramaiah was reportedly surprised to find that the vehicle was not at the location where it is normally kept. After waiting for some time, Siddaramaiah called the DCP and questioned him over the decision. He reportedly expressed anger at the police arrangement and asked why the vehicle had been removed without prior intimation. During the interaction, Siddaramaiah is sai...

Bengaluru : The CID investigation into alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s recruitment of veterinary officers has uncovered a substantial money trail involving candidates, middlemen and officials, with investigators examining alleged payments made to secure government jobs. The probe has so far questioned around 40 candidates and traced financial transactions linked to the recruitment process. Investigators have also examined accounts allegedly used to receive money from aspirants. According to investigation details, around Rs 92 lakh was deposited into accounts linked to the suspected network, prompting the authorities to freeze the accounts. The investigation has also focused on alleged use of recruitment money for expensive jewellery . The CID told a Bengaluru court that funds allegedly collected from aspirants were used to purchase gold and diamond jewellery for a female friend of suspended IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, who had served...

Mysuru: The Mysuru district administration has started online ticket sales for major events of Dasara 2026, allowing visitors to plan their participation. Tickets for the Jamboo Savari, Torchlight Parade and Drone Show, along with Gold Cards, are now available through the festival’s official website. The online facility has been activated on mysoredasara.gov.in as the city prepares for the annual Dasara celebrations. The administration said the website will provide access to ticket booking and Gold Card purchases from Monday. The Jamboo Savari remains one of the principal attractions of the festival. Visitors and tourists will be allowed to watch the grand procession from the Mysuru Palace premises with valid entry tickets. Separate booking facilities are available for the Torchlight Parade and Drone Show. The district administration has retained the rates for tickets and Gold Cards at the same level as last year. Visitors can therefore make their bookings through the offi...

Bengaluru : The BJP legislators recited the full version of Vande Mataram at the beginning of the Legislative Assembly and Council proceedings on Monday, September 21, when the recording that was officially played in the House ended after two stanzas. The Karnataka government convened a three-day special legislative session to discuss severe drought prevailing in the state as well as the implications of Dr Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats. The session at the Legislative Assembly started with Vande Mataram but it ended after rendering two paragraphs. Soon after that, Speaker G S Patil allowed condolences to the prominent people. Subsequently, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar started paying tribute to former MLA R B Shiriyannavar who died on August 27. Agitated over the issue, the BJP MLAs raised slogans and started reciting the full version of Vande Mataram. Similarly, at the Legislative Council, the BJP members continued reciting the remaining stanzas of the...

Bengaluru : Bengaluru witnessed a steady flow of Ganesh idol immersion processions on Sunday, September 20, with more than four lakh idols reportedly immersed across the city over the past week following the festival celebrations. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has made arrangements at more than 40 locations to facilitate the immersion of idols. Major lakes and designated immersion points, including Ulsoor Lake, Sankey Tank and Yediyur Lake, have been equipped to handle the large number of devotees arriving with idols. Special arrangements have also been made for the immersion of large-sized idols. Three cranes have been deployed at key locations to assist organisers in safely lowering bigger idols into the designated immersion facilities. The immersion ceremonies have been marked by festive scenes across several parts of Bengaluru . Devotees accompanied the idols in processions, with drums and traditional musical instruments adding to the celebrations. Groups of...

Gadag: Congress MLA H.K. Patil has issued an ultimatum to the Karnataka government over the demand to declare Gadag taluk drought-hit, saying he will resign from the Assembly if the status is not granted by October 10. Patil made the announcement while speaking at Mulagund, where he highlighted the concerns of farmers over the continuing rainfall deficit. He said the situation in Gadag had been assessed by officials and discussed at meetings involving elected representatives and the district administration. According to Patil, Gadag taluk has experienced a 49 per cent shortfall in rainfall. He said the extent of the deficit warranted its inclusion in the drought-hit category and questioned the government’s decision to leave the taluk out of the list. The MLA recalled that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had visited the region and inspected crops between Kadampur and Kurtakoti after receiving reports about the prevailing conditions. Patil said the chief minister’s...

Bengaluru: The alleged fake drug racket has widened the regulatory scrutiny of hospitals and medicine suppliers, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking action against pharmacies and examining the role of distributors involved in supplying critical medicines. The development follows the Special Investigation Team’s probe into the suspected network and its efforts to establish which hospitals had allegedly received medicines from the chain. More than 15 hospital pharmacies, including pharmacies in Bengaluru, have been issued notices, and authorities have initiated action to cancel licences where violations are detected. Distributors and medical representatives involved in supplying cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and ICU injections are also being questioned. Investigators are checking whether the suppliers complied with prescribed quality, storage and distribution standards. The FDA is also examining the records of distributors and other intermediaries t...

Hassan : A comment by Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda during a Praja Seva programme at Sakleshpur sparked a confrontation with a member of the audience after the latter questioned the need for citizens to pay or honour government officials for getting their work done. Addressing the gathering at the Sakleshpur tahsildar’s office on Saturday Shivalinge Gowda said it was the duty of people to respectfully acknowledge officials who helped them complete their work. At the same time, he said forcibly taking money from people was not proper. The statement prompted a person in the audience to ask why citizens should give money to government officials when they were already receiving salaries. The question led to a heated exchange at the venue. The minister reportedly alleged that the person had come to disrupt the meeting and instructed police personnel to remove him from the programme. The incident occurred during the state government’s Praja Seva campaign, unde...

Bengaluru: Educational tours organised by Karnataka’s government first-grade colleges will come under stricter supervision, with the Department of Collegiate Education introducing a series of measures aimed at preventing accidents and ensuring the safety of students. Among the 12 instructions issued by the department is a ban on students taking selfies, creating reels and recording videos during educational trips. Teachers accompanying the students have been asked to keep a close watch and ensure that the directive is followed. The department has made its prior approval mandatory for all educational tours. Colleges must submit details of the proposed trip along with undertakings from students and consent letters from their parents. Groups will not be allowed to travel to places other than those approved by the department. The safety of female students has been given particular emphasis. Colleges have been told to make necessary arrangements throughout the journey, with th...

Bengaluru: The Hoskote police has arrested five people for allegedly cheating members of the public by offering properties claimed to be worth Rs 1 crore for an investment of Rs 10 lakh. Police suspect that the accused had been running the operation by exploiting the trust of locals and investors. The arrested persons are Shashikumar, a resident of Yelachenahalli, and the alleged main accused, Nagesh, Pramila, Ambuja and Venkataravanappa. Police said Shashikumar had established contacts with several people in Hoskote and neighbouring areas and allegedly used his reputation among them to attract investors. He reportedly approached real estate operators and financially sound individuals, promising them an opportunity to purchase valuable land at a significantly lower price. As part of the alleged operation, prospective victims were taken to different properties. Shashikumar allegedly claimed that the lands were benami properties and could be obtained for only Rs 10 lakh des...

Bengaluru: Passengers using Bengaluru’s Namma Metro are facing long queues at several stations, with commuters reportedly spending 20 to 30 minutes waiting for baggage checks before entering the stations. The problem has been particularly noticeable on the Purple Line connecting Whitefield with Challaghatta. Major stations, including Baiyappanahalli, Benniganahalli and Whitefield, have witnessed long queues during peak hours, leaving office-goers and students struggling to reach their destinations on time. Passengers said the queues at some stations extend from the entry gates to the skywalks outside. The situation is reportedly more severe between 7 am and 10 am and again from 4 pm to 7 pm, when passenger movement increases significantly. Namma Metro has emerged as a preferred mode of transport for thousands of Bengaluru residents, particularly IT and other private-sector employees and students. Many commuters rely on the metro to avoid traffic congestion and reach offic...

Bengaluru: A 38-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her husband following a quarrel over her failure to answer his phone calls at Bilekahalli in Bengaluru’s Mico Layout. The accused allegedly attempted to destroy evidence by pouring hot oil on her body before being arrested by the police. The deceased has been identified as Gunja Madeshia, while her husband, Ranjit Kumar Gupta, a native of Bihar, has been arrested in connection with the incident. The couple had been living with their children in a rented house at Bilekahalli. According to the police, frequent arguments had reportedly taken place between the couple over Gunja not answering her husband’s phone calls. On Thursday, September 17, morning, after their children left for school, the couple again got into an argument at their residence. The quarrel allegedly turned violent, with Ranjit attacking Gunja and strangling her using a veil and a saree. She died at the spot, police said. Investigators...

Bengaluru : A 13-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped and killed by his neighbour in Yelahanka, with the accused later caught after his car was involved in a series of accidents on the night of Wednesday, September 16. Police found the boy’s body inside the vehicle and arrested the accused, identified as Bhaskar Reddy. The deceased, Prajwal, was a resident of Vinayaka Nagar in Yelahanka . According to the police , Bhaskar allegedly took the boy along in his car two days ago on the pretext of bringing firecrackers for Ganesh idol immersion. Since Prajwal knew him, the boy reportedly went with him without suspicion. Police suspect that Bhaskar had kidnapped the boy with an intention to demand money from his parents. He allegedly recorded a video of Prajwal inside the car and threatened the family for money. The boy was later allegedly assaulted and killed. After the murder, the accused reportedly placed the body in the boot of his car and began driving towards Andhra Prad...

Bengaluru: A speeding vehicle crashed into more than 20 vehicles, injuring six people in Bengaluru on Wednesday night, September 16, while attempting to abduct a 21-year-old girl from Rajasthan who married a man from another caste against her family’s wishes. Police have arrested the accused, 21-year-old Rakesh, 25-year-old Karan and 18-year-old Ayas, while the driver, Saddam, is absconding. Authorities suspect her paternal aunt asked the accused to abduct the woman, identified as Pooja, as she was unable to accept the marriage. Originally from Rajasthan ‘s Melwas village, the couple had married nearly eight to nine months ago and shifted to Bengaluru. Car chase results in major collision The accused assaulted Pooja’s husband, Omprakash, at their residence in Agrahara Dasarahalli before forcing her into a vehicle, police said. Two residents who saw the men taking Pooja in the car followed them for six to seven kilometres before getting assistance from...

Karwar : Tension was reported in Bhatkal of Uttara Kannada district after unidentified persons allegedly pelted stones at a mosque and an Arabic madrasa during a Ganesh idol immersion procession on the night of Wednesday, September 16. The incident occurred on the Gulmi Railway Station Road when a public Ganesh immersion procession was passing through the area after starting from Taland. The procession had crossed the Gulmi railway bridge and was proceeding towards the railway station when stones were allegedly thrown at the Ismail Sunni Jamiya Mosque and the Tajus-Sunna Arabic Madrasa located on the ground floor of the building. According to the complaint filed with Bhatkal Town Police Station, two windowpanes of the building were damaged in the incident. Abdul Alim, a resident, approached the police and sought action against those responsible for the alleged stone-pelting. Following the incident, a group of local Muslims gathered outside the police station and dema...

Kalaburagi : A police constable has been accused of assaulting a woman, setting her house on fire and later torching the private car of a police sub-inspector who had registered a case against him in Kalaburagi district. The incident was reported from Mahagaon village in Kamalapur taluk. The accused, Rajshekhar Varanal, is attached to Chincholi police station. Two FIRs have reportedly been registered in connection with the incidents. According to the complaint, the dispute began between Varanal and a woman identified as Reshma, whom he reportedly knew during his earlier posting at Mahagaon police station. Their relationship allegedly turned sour, resulting in repeated quarrels. Varanal was later transferred to Chincholi. However, the dispute reportedly continued. The woman alleged that the constable visited her house, assaulted her and created a disturbance. Based on her complaint, Mahagaon PSI Basavaraj registered an FIR against Varanal. The constable allegedly bec...

Bengaluru: A police complaint has been filed against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president BK Hariprasad following his remarks describing Umar Khalid as a “nationalist” during the ongoing controversy over a documentary on the jailed activist at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). Hindu activist Tejas Gowda submitted the complaint at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station, alleging that Hariprasad used objectionable language against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and made statements that could create animosity. He urged the police to investigate the remarks and take action in accordance with the law. The complaint follows Hariprasad’s criticism of ABVP over its opposition to the proposed screening of “Prisoner No. 626710 is Present,” a documentary directed by Lalit Vachani. Hariprasad said Khalid was a nationalist and questioned ABVP’s authority to speak about him. ABVP objects to documentary on Umar Khalid The pr...

Belagavi: A dispute over ancestral property ended in the brutal killing of a 67-year-old former soldier and his 26-year-old daughter at a gram panchayat office in Avaradi village of Kittur taluk on Wednesday. The victims, Rudrappa Kundaragi and his daughter Shashikala Kundaragi, had reportedly come from Dharwad to the village to submit an application concerning the division of property when they were allegedly attacked by Rudrappa’s brothers and a nephew. The incident took place at the gram panchayat office, where Rudrappa had gone to complete documentation related to the property division. Police said he had been engaged in a dispute with his brothers Basappa and Sangappa Kundaragi for several years over the family property. The dispute reportedly centred on 38 guntas of land. A court had directed that the property be divided equally among the three brothers. Rudrappa, however, had already sold the portion that had been allotted to him, according to the preliminary polic...

Bengaluru : Rice prices have increased again across Karnataka, with traders attributing the latest hike to inadequate rainfall, lower crop output and shortages of raw material. The latest increase is the third rise in three months, adding to the burden on consumers. According to wholesale traders, the price of ordinary rice has increased by around Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kg, while premium varieties have become costlier by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg. At the wholesale level, prices have risen by around Rs 1,000 per quintal. The price of a bag of ordinary rice has gone up by nearly Rs 200, while premium rice bags are now costing Rs 250 to Rs 300 more, traders said. The latest revision came into effect from Tuesday. Wholesale prices are expected to increase by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg, while retail consumers could see a rise of Rs 20 to Rs 40 per kg depending on the variety and quality of rice . Traders said poor rainfall in the state has affected agricultural production, leaving fa...