bangalore news times

Hyderabad:  On September 3, a YouTube podcast aired an interview with Swatantra Bhardwaj, a 21-year-old self-styled “kattar Hindu,” in which he boasted of cracking open a man’s skull at a protest in Delhi. The man, he said, needed 60 stitches. He was Sanjay Kumar, a Dalit whose 14-year-old daughter volunteers with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), attacked on June 23 at the Jantar Mantar protest against the NEET paper leak. Bhardwaj said he roamed Delhi all night afterwards, unafraid of the police, and called Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra and Union minister Chirag Paswan his “big brothers.” Delhi Police, which had earlier called Kumar’s injuries “simple in nature,” dismissed the claims of protection. Bhardwaj, who now pleads self-defence, was detained in Bulandshahr on September 4 and got interim bail on September 15. It was a start of a month of 65 hate crimes that  Siasat.com  documented in September – 42 against...

Mangaluru: The Karnataka government has reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to reinvestigate the rape and murder of a minor girl, Soujanya, in Belthangady, a case that has triggered widespread public attention across the state. The Home Department has issued an amended order appointing CID Inspector General of Police Chetan Singh Rathore as the new SIT chief, replacing senior IPS officer N. Shashikumar, who was heading the team earlier. The government has also appointed Hassan Additional Superintendent of Police Srinidhi as a member of the SIT in place of Venkatesh Prasanna, who was previously part of the investigation team. Order amends original govt order of Sept 24 The revised order was issued on October 30, amending the original government order dated September 24, 2026, which had constituted the team for the fresh investigation. The amendment was issued by S. Ambika, Under Secretary to the Government, Home Department (Crimes). According t...

New Delhi:  Anvay Dravid and Aaryavir Sehwag, sons of former India batters Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, were on Friday, October 30, picked in India’s 15-member squad for the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup in Muscat next month. The junior selection committee kept Lakshya Raichandani as captain, while Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan stays on as vice-captain. The tournament will be played in the Omani capital from November 5 to 14. India start against Nepal on November 6 and take on Pakistan two days later. Both Anvay and Aaryavir were rewarded for heavy scoring in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, the national one-day tournament for under-19 players, which ended recently. Runs behind the picks Anvay, 17, is a wicketkeeper-batter from Karnataka . Earlier this month, he hit 151 off 100 balls againstGujarat, setting up a chase of more than 300. He is India’s first-choice keeper, with Rajat Baghel as the second gloveman in the squad. Anvay ended the one...

Bengaluru: An invitation through a dating app allegedly turned into a robbery at a house in Nagarabhavi, where two transgender persons reportedly threatened a man with a knife and escaped with gold ornaments worth Rs 20 lakh. Chandralayout police have arrested both accused. The arrested persons have been identified as Nazia and Syed Mousheen. Police said the arrests were made following a complaint lodged by Raju, the house owner. The incident reportedly took place on the night of October 23. Rohit (name changed), a private company employee living in the house with his family, had left for his own residence in Hesaraghatta after handing over the keys to his friend Harshavardhan. Rohit’s wife had travelled to Tamil Nadu a day earlier. Harshavardhan had been permitted to stay at the house for a day in Rohit’s absence. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Harshavardhan reportedly connected with a woman through a dating app and invited her to the house. However,...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has sparked a political debate by declaring that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was conducted properly in Karnataka, even as Congress leaders have accused the exercise of targeting Muslim and Dalit voters. His remarks have come at a politically sensitive time, with the Congress scheduled to stage a protest in New Delhi on November 1 against the SIR exercise and the Election Commission of India . Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Jarkiholi said he had no objections to the SIR process conducted in Karnataka. However, he expressed reservations about the exercise in other states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar. He said the removal of names belonging to deceased voters, people who had shifted residences and those registered in more than one place was justified. According to him, adequate training had been provided to personnel involved in the revision process in Karnataka, help...

Bengaluru: A case involving the rape of a young woman and the subsequent kidnapping of two software professionals has taken a dramatic turn in Bengaluru, with police arresting 11 people in connection with the abduction and two men in the rape case. The incident took place at a rented two-bedroom apartment in Marathahalli, where three friends from Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh — Mahendra, Tarun and Manju — lived together while working for software companies in Bengaluru. Manju had travelled to his hometown last Saturday when his friend Rajkumar contacted him, seeking accommodation for a day for himself and his girlfriend. Manju advised him to collect the house keys from his flatmates and stay there. Rajkumar and the woman arrived at the apartment. While the couple occupied one room, Mahendra and Tarun stayed in another. According to the complaint, the two men, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, suspected that the woman was a sex worker. Police were informed that...

Bengaluru : Residents across Bengaluru are reporting more frequent snake sightings as the weather turns hotter following recent rains. Snakes are being found near shoe stands, parked two-wheelers, bathrooms and washing machines, prompting people to seek help from civic and emergency services. More than 200 calls were reportedly received over three days by the BBMP helpline, police emergency number 100 and fire and emergency services regarding snakes entering homes and residential premises. Cobras, Russell’s vipers, water snakes and kraits have been among the reptiles spotted in different neighbourhoods. Trained rescuers have been attending to complaints and removing snakes from residential properties. Rapid urbanisation is considered one of the factors contributing to the encounters. In localities such as Vidyaranyapura, Nagarabhavi, RR Nagar, Yelahanka, JP Nagar and Sarjapur, construction and infrastructure development have altered or reduced natural habitats, inc...