bangalore news times

Bengaluru : The Karnataka High Court has allowed former minister B. Nagendra, an accused in the alleged Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation financial irregularities case, to travel anywhere in the country without prior court permission. However, a single judge Bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna has directed Nagendra to obtain permission from the trial court before travelling abroad on Thursday August 20. Nagendra had approached the High Court seeking relaxation of a bail condition that barred him from leaving Karnataka without the trial court’s permission. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the alleged financial irregularities, opposed the plea and urged the court not to dilute the conditions imposed while granting him bail. After hearing both sides, the High Court modified the condition and permitted Nagendra to travel across the country. The court, however, retained the requirement of seeking the trial co...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president BK Hariprasad stepped up his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) amid the ongoing political debate over Vande Mataram on Thursday, August 20, challenging the Hindutva leaders to sing the national anthem at shakhas instead of the organisation’s traditional prayer. Welcoming the Congress Working Committee’s decision on singing two stanzas of Vande Mataram, Hariprasad said the Congress would stick to the resolution and continue singing only the specified two stanzas. “If the BJP has the courage, let its leaders sing the national anthem at RSS shakhas. Let them sing the national anthem there instead of the Sangh prayer,” he said. Hariprasad alleged that the BJP was deliberately using Vande Mataram as a political weapon and attempting to create controversy around an issue concerning national pride. ‘Put us in jail or even hang us, but we will sing only the...

Bengaluru: A video allegedly showing a woman police officer interacting with a jailed inmate through a WhatsApp video call has triggered controversy after it surfaced on social media. The officer has now approached the Cubbon Park police, alleging that the video was recorded and circulated by two history-sheeters. According to the complaint filed on Thursday, August 20, the officer had known one of the accused, identified as Dharma, for several years. She alleged that during a video call with him, he recorded the conversation without her consent. The recording was subsequently shared with another history-sheeter, Saikumar, who allegedly circulated it on social media. The officer has sought action against Dharma, Saikumar and others allegedly involved in circulating the video. She has stated that the circulation of the video has damaged her reputation and caused considerable embarrassment. The complainant reportedly works as an officer responsible for security at a metro s...

Chitradurga : Police have arrested two persons in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a newlywed woman whose body was found in a deserted well near Mahadevapura in Chitradurga district on Wednesday, August 19. The deceased, identified as Sumalatha, had gone missing from her house in Chikka Ullarthi village of Challakere taluk on August 13. She had married Gajendra in a love marriage. According to police, the couple had been staying on a farm to avoid the attention of their families. Police said Gajendra’s friend Borayya allegedly followed the couple to the farm. When Sumalatha was changing clothes, Borayya allegedly sexually assaulted her and strangled her to death. He then allegedly called his brother Karayya and, with his assistance, disposed of the body by throwing it into a deserted well near Mahadevapura. After Sumalatha’s family identified the body, they initially suspected Gajendra’s involvement and lodged a complaint against him. Acting on the complain...

Bidar: Three people were arrested for allegedly hunting a deer near Chondi village in Bidar taluk, days after a controversial encounter involving suspected poachers in Chamarajanagar district. According to forest officers the incident occurred in the areas surrounding Chondi village under the jurisdiction of Janwada forest range. Local residents reportedly noticed the suspicious movement in the area and alerted the police about suspected hunting activity. Acting on the information, a forest team reached the spot and attempted to intercept the group. The suspects allegedly tried to flee after noticing the officials. However, officers managed to catch three of them, while two others escaped from the spot. The arrested persons have been identified as Soheb Mallik, a native of Chincholi in Kalaburagi district, and Hyderabad residents Abdul Sahid and Hameed. Police said another suspect, identified as Naseer from Hyderabad, and one other person managed to escape. Search oper...

Ramanagara : Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has busted a major illegal fake medicine manufacturing and repackaging operation at Hejjala near Bidadi in Ramanagara district on Tuesday, August 18, seizing counterfeit medicines and related materials worth more than Rs 5 crore. The operation was carried out under the direction of Food Safety Commissioner K. Srinivas and Additional Drugs Controller Dr Umesh. Officials raided a premises where counterfeit medicines were allegedly being manufactured and repackaged without the mandatory government licences and permissions. According to officials, the operators were allegedly using fake labels carrying the names of reputed multinational pharmaceutical companies and established brands before repackaging the medicines for distribution in the market. The activity was reportedly being carried out secretly at the premises. During the raid , officials recovered a large quantity of suspected counterfeit tabl...

Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP on Tuesday, August 18, formed a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Hanur encounter in Chamarajanagar district, where three suspected poachers were killed in an exchange of fire with forest personnel. The committee will visit the spot, gather information from local residents and officials, examine the circumstances leading to the firing and submit a comprehensive report to the party within a week. The team comprises BJP state vice-president N. Mahesh, state secretary Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, Minority Morcha state president Anil Thomas, former MLA C.S. Niranjan Kumar and party leader Hanur Venkatesh. Incident happened on August 15 The committee was constituted following questions raised by the BJP over the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The incident took place around 5 am on August 15 in the Holemuradatti forest area near Shagya in the Hanur Wildlife Range of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary....