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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...