bangalore news times

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday, January 23, lifted the ban on bike taxis, dismissing the earlier order that had stopped the operations of two-wheeler transport. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said he had not yet received a copy of the order and would comment after reviewing it. However, he said the division bench of the High Court had quashed the single-bench order. “The single-judge bench of the High Court had prohibited bike taxis. The division bench has quashed the single judge bench order and allowed the writ appeal. Let the judgment copy come. I will read it and then discuss it with you all,” the minister told reporters. The court allowed the appeals filed by service apps Uber, Ola, Rapido and other aggregators. Uber hailed the court order, saying, “We welcome the Hon’ble High Court’s decision to recognise bike taxis as a legal mode of passenger transport in Karnataka.” According to the company, bike taxis serve as a vital mobility lifeline fo...

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, January 22, said it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 20 crore as part of its probe into the MUDA-linked money laundering case in Karnataka . With the fresh attachment, properties worth Rs 460 crore have been attached so far by the ED as part of this investigation. The latest attachment includes 10 immovable properties including six “illegally” allotted sites of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was issued on Wednesday to attach the assets worth Rs 20.85 crore, the ED said in a statement. The federal agency had arrested former MUDA commissioner G T Dinesh Kumar in September 2025 on the charge of illegal allotment of MUDA sites. He is currently lodged in a jail under judicial custody. The ED claimed its probe found routing and layering of “undue gratification” obtained by Dinesh Kumar. Also Read Lokayukta files status report in MU...

The governor versus government face-off in non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled southern states has seen a third such incident in three days, with Karnataka Governor on Thursday, January 22, refusing to read the full speech approved by the state government citing grievances and walking out of the Assembly, two days after Kerala and Tamil Nadu governors also did the same. Karnataka governor leaves after two-line address On Thursday, confining his customary address to the state legislature to just two lines, Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot walked out after his two-line address to the Legislative Assembly and Council. It prompted a strong response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who accused the governor of delivering his own speech rather than the government-prepared one, dubbing him a “puppet” of the Centre. Congress members expressed strong displeasure over the governor walking away without reading the speech prepared by the government, and raised “Shame Shame” slogans on...

Police on Thursday, January 22, arrested a ground staff member for allegedly sexually harassing a South Korean national at Terminal 2 in Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in the guise of a security check on January 19. It was Kim Sung Kyung’s first time visiting India. In an interview with NDTV , Kyung said she was proceeding to board her Singapore Airlines flight after the immigration check, when the accused, Mohammed Affan Ahamed, 25, approached her and told her to step aside as a “beep beep” sound was supposedly coming from her luggage. Seeing his airline tag, Kyung believed his words and followed him to the men’s bathroom. Kyung told NDTV that Affan was very professional in his approach and explained about security protocols, leaving no space for doubt. “At the men’s bathroom, he did a body check on me and squeezed my body in a very inappropriate way,” she said. “After everything seemed done, he suddenly hugged me and said ‘thank you’,” she said. “The hug made m...

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday, January 21, posted Umesh Kumar in concurrent charge of DGP Civil Rights Enforcement. His appointment came after the suspension of DGP CRE K Ramachandra Rao after his purported obscene video went viral in social media and television news channels too beamed it. Also Read Video manipulated, says Karnataka DGP Rao on objectionable video “Umesh Kumar, IPS, Director General of Police, Recruitment, Bengaluru is placed in Concurrent Charge of the post of Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement with immediate effect and until further orders,” the government order read. In the suspension order on Monday, the state government said Rao has “acted in an obscene manner, which is unbecoming of a government servant and also causing embarrassment to the government.” Rao is the step-father of Kannada actress and gold smuggling accused Harshavardhini Ranya, who is in the Bengaluru Central Jail. Get the latest updat...

Davos: Asserting that there is a huge interest in Karnataka government’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ campaign, the state’s senior minister MB Patil on Tuesday, January 20, said his government is developing several other cities to attract investment. Speaking to PTI during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Patil said Karnataka is one of the most progressive states of the country, and the work started way back in the year 2000 under the leadership of the then chief minister SM Krishna, when Bengaluru was developed as the IT capital of the country. The minister recalled that the state has had a strong ecosystem since the pre-Independence era and has been home to iconic organisations like ISRO, Indian Institute of Science, BHEL, HAL and HMT. “We are also pioneers in professional colleges, and until the last three decades, there were not many engineering colleges in other states in India,” he said. “It is our state from where IT giants like Infosys and Wipro emerged. And now, we are no...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday, January 20, said that the government has acted swiftly by suspending Director General of Police (DGP) K Ramachandra Rao after a video showing him in a compromising position with women had gone viral. Saying that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, the minister asserted that further action will be taken based on the findings of the probe. “He can be dismissed as well,” he added. News channels beamed a video on Monday, January 19, purportedly showing Rao in a compromising position with women. The video had gone viral on social media. Rao sought to reject the videos outright, terming them “fabricated and false”. Also Read Video manipulated, says Karnataka DGP Rao on objectionable video The government placed Rao under suspension with immediate effect, citing conduct unbecoming of a government servant and violation of service rules, pending a detailed inquiry. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru , Parameshwar...

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday, January 20 launched searches in three states as part of its money laundering investigation into the Sabarimala gold loss case, official sources said. About 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they added. The premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in Bengaluru , and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar are understood to be under the scrutiny of the federal probe agency as part of the ongoing action. The ED had recently filed a PMLA case taking cognisance of a Kerala police FIR. The politically sensitive case is already being investigated by a state Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Kerala High Court. Also Read Elaborate arrangements in Sabarimala ahead of Makaravilakku The probe is related to a series of irregularities, including official misconduct, adminis...

Karnataka’s political crisis is rooted in an intensifying power struggle between Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (DKS). The unresolved question of a rotating chief minister system has deepened the crisis, making it critical for the Congress High Command to act decisively to stabilise the state.  The origin of this power struggle could be traced to May 2023, when speculation surfaced about a possible leadership-sharing deal that remains unresolved. Congress won the majority and formed the government. To address internal rifts, the High Command appointed Siddharamaiah as Chief Minister and Shivakumar as his deputy, amid rumours that Shivakumar would take over after two-and-a-half years. Siddaramaiah was sworn in as Karnataka CM and Shivakumar as his deputy in 2023. After Siddharamaiah completed two-and-a-half years in office in November, supporters of DKS demanded a leadership change. However, Siddharamaiah insisted on finishing his full ter...

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) has announced that ballot papers will be used instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the Bengaluru civic polls, and the elections will be held after May 25. Karnataka State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi made the announcement on Monday, January 19, at a press conference after releasing the draft voters’ list for elections in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits. “Civic polls to the five newly formed municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be conducted after May 25 and ballot papers will be used for voting instead of the electronic voting machines (EVMs),” he said. The upcoming elections to the GBA, district panchayats, taluk panchayats and gram panchayats will be conducted using ballot papers, he announced. “As per the directions issued by the State Election Commission, the ward-wise draft electoral rolls for all 369 wards are published today for public inspection and th...

Bengaluru: In the backdrop of the centenary year of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) , more than 3,000 Hindu conferences will be organised across Karnataka, the organising committee said on Saturday, January 17. Hindu Samajotsava or Hindu Sammelana programmes will be held in rural and urban areas (ward level) across the state from January 18 to February 1, 2026. “Hindu Samajotsava or Hindu Sammelana programmes will be held at more than 3,000 places, and lakhs of public citizens will participate. Hindu Sammelana will continue in the North Karnataka region till February 28,” the Hindu Samajotsava Samiti (Committee) said in a release. The programmes will be organised at the Taluk level by local committee. Dignitaries, leaders, and prominent people from various social backgrounds will be the office bearers of this committee and will organise the Hindu Sammelan, it said. “ Panchaparivaranthana Awareness ” is created on five topics such as social harmony, family education, environme...

Bengaluru: Bengalureans will soon have to pay to park their vehicles on specific streets in areas such as the Central Business District (CBD), Hebbal, and Yelahanka. The city is set to introduce paid street parking in these localities. Under the new system, parking charges for four-wheelers will be Rs 30 per hour, while two-wheelers will be charged Rs 15 per hour. Daily passes will also be available at Rs 150 for four-wheelers and Rs 75 for two-wheelers. For those choosing long-term parking, monthly passes will be available at Rs 3,000 for four-wheelers and Rs 1,500 for two-wheelers, according to officials. The areas where the parking fees will be collected are 13th A Main roads and 3rd B, 16th B, 15th A cross roads, tank bund road, Taralabalu road, Bhoopasandra main road in Hebbal division, and Sandeep Unnikrishna road in Yelahanka new town ward no. 5 among other junctions. Bengaluru will soon start collecting parking fees on select streets in areas including CBD, Hebbal ...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday, January 14, clarified that there is no message from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as being reported in the media, and he only asked the state government to continue the good work. Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, downplayed speculations regarding his social media post, which read “efforts may fail, but prayers won’t”, linking it to his brief conversation with Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening. Rahul Gandhi’s brief conversation with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and his deputy and a claimant for the CM’s chair, Shivakumar, has sparked off speculations, amid the ongoing power tussle between the two. “I’m the state Congress President, he (Rahul Gandhi) is the leader of opposition (in Lok Sabha), and he was also earlier the Congress President. Can our meeting with him, discussions with him, giving respect to him and receiving him as per protocol — be discussed in public? You (media) un...

Bengaluru: A 48-year-old man died on Wednesday, January 14, after the deadly Chinese manja caused a deep cut on his neck while he was riding his bike near the Talamadagi village bridge in Karnataka’s Bidar district. Videos shared on the internet show him lying in a pool of blood as he tries to make a call to his daughter. The deceased, identified as Sanjukumar Gundappa Hosamani, was reportedly travelling to Humnabad to bring his daughter home from a hostel for the Sankranti festival break. The incident occurred in Chitguppa when the glass-laced kite string hanging across the road got entangled around Hosamani’s neck while he was riding his motorcycle. The string slit his throat, leading him to fall on the road and bleed heavily. He died on the spot due to heavy bleeding. His body has been shifted to a government hospital for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered at the Manna Ekhelli Police Station, and further investigation is underway. Locals protest, claim ambulan...

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, January 12, asked the Karnataka government and the state election body to hold the long-pending polls for Bengaluru local body by June 30. The tenure of the earlier elected body for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) expired on September 10, 2020, and since then a government-appointed administrator was taking care of its day-to-day affairs. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice JK Maheshwari, which fixed the schedule for the poll process, said that the final ward-wise reservation list shall be published by the state government by February 20, and made it clear that no further extension shall be granted. The order was passed on a plea of the Karnataka government which has challenged the high court’s December 2020 order that directed the State Election Commission to hold BBMP elections expeditiously after finalising the electoral rolls. The top court is monitoring the compliance of its earlier orders regarding polls to the B...

After grand openings in Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram, Tesla India, on Saturday, January 10, announced its fourth showroom in Bengaluru . Taking to X, the electric vehicle company posted, “See you soon in Namma Bengaluru.” See you soon in Namma Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/7hmi2awvdy — Tesla India (@Tesla_India) January 9, 2026 According to Mint , the Elon Musk company plans to expand its horizons in India . Its first showroom was in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), followed by the 8,200 sq ft centre at Worldmark 3 in Delhi’s Aerocity and in Gurugram’s Orchid Business Park. In December last year, Tesla launched its first charging station at DLF Horizon Center, Gurugram. Tesla’s India portfolio currently includes the Model Y electric SUV in two configurations. The standard Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) version is priced at Rs 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Long Range RWD variant is available at Rs 67.89 lakh (ex-showroom). Deliveries for both are expected to begin in the...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday that discussions are underway to hand over the investigation into the alleged Hubballi woman stripping case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and that the case will be transferred to the CID after obtaining the Chief Minister’s approval. Speaking to reporters at the Home Office in Bengaluru , he said the CID must investigate the truth behind the incident and submit a report to the government. “After that, the government will take a decision after examining who is at fault and whether there was any negligence in the incident,” he said. He clarified that the police did not allow the woman to be stripped and that they took immediate action. “I have already shared information with the media that the police did not disrobe her and that she did it herself. Even so, the matter needs to be investigated in detail. Only an investigation will bring complete clarity,” he said. Commenting on the criticism by Union ...

Bengaluru : A complaint has been filed with the Income Tax Department against Karnataka Minister for Tourism and Waqf Zameer Ahmad Khan, who is also District In-Charge Minister for Ballari, over giving Rs 25 lakh in cash, which is against the law, as compensation to the family of Congress worker Rajashekar. It may be recalled that Rajashekar died in a firing during a clash between Congress and BJP workers. The complaint has been lodged by Hindu activist Tejas Gowda, who has accused the minister of violating Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations. According to the complaint, RBI norms mandate that any financial transaction exceeding Rs 2 lakh must be carried out only through authorised banking channels. The complainant has demanded a detailed investigation into the source of the cash allegedly given as compensation. He has also sought clarity on whether the amount was officially accounted for or constituted unaccounted money. The Income Tax Department is yet to issue a response ...

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, a strong contender for the CM’s post, on Monday, January 5, conveyed warm congratulations to incumbent CM Siddaramaiah who is creating a record on January 6, of completing a long tenure in CM’s office. Shivakumar was responding to media queries at Vidhana Soudha. When asked about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah creating a record by completing a long tenure in office, Shivakumar said, “This is a very happy development. It is a matter of happiness for all of us, including you. Please publicise this well. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him. Everyone has a desire to achieve something in life. Our respected Chief Minister has already entered the pages of history and will continue to do so in the future.” When asked whether this would smoothen his own path, he replied, “I have come this far from a village background. What more do I need than this? I do not need to go searching for anything. Do not tr...