Karnataka's Valmiki community stages protest in Bengaluru, demands 7.5% reservation

Protest

The protesters resisted attempts by the police to evict them from Freedom Park and insisted that a government official should step out and listen to their concerns.

TNM Staff

Members of the Valmiki community staged a protest in Bengaluru seeking 7.5% reservation for the community in the state. The protest led to a traffic logjam in and around the Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday morning after protesters brought traffic to a standstill near the state secretariat building and at the Karnataka High Court opposite to it.  The protesting community members then converged at Freedom Park to continue their protest. "The reservation set aside for our community is 7.5 per cent as per central government rules but it is only 3% as per state government rules. We are here to demand that the state government should give 7.5% reservation as well. We are a numerically strong community and make up the bulk of the Scheduled Tribes living in Karnataka," says Narasimha Murthy, a 44-year-old protester who arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning. Others at the protest had taken longer and more exhausting routes to reach Bengaluru. A section of the protesters arrived in the city after walking from Rajanahalli in Davanagere district to Bengaluru, a distance of 280 km.  "We began from Rajanahalli on June 9. We decided to hold the padayatra because the reservation for our community is not enough. There are many 30-35 year olds who are struggling to get jobs. The reservation should be decided based on population," says Manjunath Kandigal from Davanagere speaking on the sidelines of the protest. Manjunath claimed that there are 70 lakh members of the community living in Karnataka. The protesters resisted attempts by the police to evict them from Freedom Park and insisted that a government official should step out and listen to their concerns. Actor turned politician and former MP from Chitradurga Shashi Kumar of the JD(S) was present at the protest while BJP MLA B Sriramulu has also expressed his support for the protest. Sriramulu is considered one of the biggest leaders belonging to the Valmiki community. State ministers including power minister DK Shivakumar was held up in the traffic logjam caused by the protest. He got down from his car and decided to travel in the metro instead surprising commuters inside the metro, some of whom clicked selfies with the minister.

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From July 1, pay more to use tollway between Bengaluru’s Electronic City and Attibele

Transport

The Electronic City-Attibele stretch had seen a similar hike in July 2018.

TNM Staff

Starting from July 1, commuters using the highway corridor between Electronic City and Attibele in Bengaluru will have to shell out an additional Rs 5 to Rs 10 while travelling both ways. Currently, two-wheelers pay Rs 20 and Rs 30 for single and return journeys, while cars pay Rs 45 and Rs 70 for single and return journeys respectively. The monthly pass rates have also seen an increase of Rs 20 for bike, Rs 40 for cars, Rs 60 for SUVs, and Rs 120 for trucks and buses. At present, for monthly passes, two-wheeler users pay Rs 560, car users pay Rs 1,405 and commercial vehicles pay Rs 1,965. Trucks and buses pay Rs 3,930 for their monthly passes. The tollway is used daily by hundreds of IT sector employees who travel towards Bengaluru city centre from Electronic City side. In total, the 18 km corridor sees a movement of more 55,000-60,000 vehicles daily. The operator of the tollway, Bangalore Elevated Tollway Pvt Limited., said the increase was based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and is approved by the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI).  With the increase in toll, the bus fares on these routes may also increase.  The WPI is a measure of inflation often used by the Indian government to calculate fares and hikes. The percentage increases, of around 2.5-3% in each of the fares, are concurrent with this. The stretch had seen a similar hike in July 2018. There was a uniform hike of Rs 5 for a daily one-way ride for bikes, cars, trucks, and buses, and no change in price for return journeys.   At that time, the hike for two-wheelers was Rs 15, for cars was Rs 40 for monthly passes.   As part of the contract with NHAI, the toll booth operator has the right to increase the toll charges every year based on the WPI, an NHAI official said.   Hike in road toll on way to Bengaluru International Airport from Monday  

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SIT raids IMA Gold office in Bengaluru, recovers pistol and bullets from locker

Crime

This comes a day after IMA's fugitive founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan purportedly revealed in a video that a lot of gold jewellery and bullion was locked up in the office.

TNM Staff

Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) recovered a licensed pistol and 50 cartridges from a locker at the head office of I Monetary Advisory (IMA).  The SIT investigating the ponzi scam allegedly run by IMA's founder Mansoor Khan searched IMA Gold, one of the offices at IMA Towers, located on Lady Curzon Road in Shivajinagar. This comes a day after IMA's fugitive founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan purportedly revealed in a video uploaded on YouTube that a lot of gold jewellery and bullion was locked up in the office. SIT chief BR Ravikanthe Gowda, who is leading the investigation into the scheme, confirmed the recovery of the pistol and the cartridges from the IMA Gold office but made it clear that Khan's video would not be considered a piece of evidence in the investigation, reported Deccan Herald.  Ravikanthe further added that the SIT was making all efforts to trace the location from where the video was uploaded to YouTube. "On Thursday, we raided IMA Jewels, 90% of which was empty. On Monday, we raided IMA Gold, Khan's bullion trading showroom. He purchased old gold ornaments from customers and sold them gold coins. On the customer's request, Khan's employees would get their gold ornaments mortgaged with other agencies released by making due payments and IMA would later purchase the released gold from customers," a police source told Times of India.  Seven directors of IMA were initially arrested on June 11 after the SIT began investigating the scam. The SIT was asked to investigate after police received more than 38,000 complaints against IMA.  Mansoor Khan fled the country on June 8 and subsequently released an audio clip claiming that Congress MLA (now suspended) Roshan Baig refused to return Rs 400 crore to him and claimed that the money was borrowed in the run-up to the recent Lok Sabha elections.   Bengaluru police have offered protection to Mansoor if he returns to the city to surrender as per the law.  

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43-year-old man tries to kill self at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, rescued

Crime

The 43-year-old took the step allegedly after his job application seeking the regularisation of his service was rejected.

TNM Staff

A 43-year-old man tried to take his own life in a washroom at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday. The man has been identified as Revanna Kumar, who works as an assistant librarian at the Gram Panchayath office in Anoor village in Chintamani. Revanna took the step allegedly after his job application seeking the regularisation of his services was rejected. Police officials investigating the incident said Revanna worked as a temporary staffer and had applied for regularisation. After he received news of the rejection, he decided to take his own life. According to a report in  Deccan Herald, Revanna visited the Vidhana Soudha and went to the third floor to meet the official concerned with submitting the application. At around 1:30 pm, he was found bleeding in the washroom by people who immediately informed the police. Vidhana Soudha police officials rushed to the spot and Revanna was shifted to Bowring Hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment and is reported to be stable. According to Deccan Chronicle, police officials found an identity card, an appointment letter and the application for regularisation of service from Revanna. They are now waiting for the librarian to recover to question him as to why he tried to take his own life. They are also trying to investigate the sharp object with which Revanna tried to kill himself. This is not the first such incident reported inside the Vidhan Soudha. In April this year, a man working as a KSRTC bus conductor jumped to his death from the fifth floor of the Vidhana Soudha. The incident occurred on a Sunday afternoon when the number of people at the state secretariat is at its lowest. In June 2018, a businessman had attempted suicide alleging that an MLA had taken Rs 1 crore from him to get some work completed.

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Science City to come up in Mysuru in 5 years, proposal submitted to Centre

Project

"The Science City, which will come up at a cost of Rs 200 crore, will emerge as the biggest city in south India,” K'taka Deputy CM G Parameshwara said.

TNM Staff

In order to boost the prospects of Mysuru as a tourist hub further, the Centre and state governments will soon come up with a Science City. Speaking about the project, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said Sri Suttur Math has offered 25-acre land for the project and a proposal has been submitted to the Centre seeking approval. “The Union Government has introduced an initiative to set up a Science City in every state and in this regard, it has been proposed to set up a Science City in Mysuru. The Science City, which will come up at a cost of Rs 200 crore, will emerge as the biggest city in south India,” he said.  The construction expense will be shared equally by the State and Union government.  “Mysuru already attracts tourists in large numbers. Science City in Mysuru will be beneficial to the city. The city will have earth galaxy, solar system and others that will attract students too,” he added.  The construction is expected to be completed in five years but efforts will be made to finish the construction in three years, the minister said. Reflecting that children of this age are keen on becoming doctors or engineers, Parameshwara said this interest is not the same when it comes to science. To inculcate an interest in science in students, science centres are being set up in every district. The works have been initiated in Mangaluru and Davanagere. The works will commence in rest of the 19 districts as well.   The minister also lauded the efforts of Sri Suttur Math, which runs more than 200 educational institutions, for offering their land for the science city. On the same day, the Deputy CM also met farmers in Mandya who were protesting for water to be released from Cauvery and Hemavati in the districts’ canals.

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Bengaluru police promise protection to IMA scam accused Mansoor Khan

Crime

Khan in a purported video tape offered to return to India if his life was protected from those plotting to kill him.

IANS

IMA Jewels

Multi-crore ponzi scheme fraudster and IMA Jewels fugitive founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan would be protected if he surrendered and submitted to law, a senior police officer said on Monday. "We will give protection to Khan. He should have no doubt about it. Whether an accused or anybody who wants to surrender or submit to law will be protected," Deputy Inspector General (IGP) Bengaluru and Special Investigation Team (SIT) head B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters here. Gowda's response came a day after Khan in a purported video tape on the official Youtube of the city-based jewellery-cum-investment firm offered to return to India if his life was protected from those plotting to kill him. Declining to share more details about Khan who fled from Bengaluru on June 8, Gowda said as investigation was underway, he would not reveal more as it would hamper the inquiry which was at various stages with international ramifications. "We know where he (Khan) is but cannot disclose his location for the sake of investigation, which is progressing well. We will share more information with the media as and when necessary in public interest," said Gowda. In the 18-minute video uploaded on the social media Youtube on Sunday, Khan sought protection as he fears death threat to his life from all those who betrayed and ruined his 12-year business empire. "As Khan is an accused in the ponzi scheme scam, we have to verify his claims and charges with facts, documents and evidence. Though he told many things, they have to be cross-checked with those whose names he took," said Gowda. Accusing politicians, realty developers and an unnamed IAS officer for the downfall of his empire, Khan said in a mix of Urdu and English that he tried to return to India on June 14 but could not, as the airport security "off boarded" him from the plane. "I was not allowed to fly back to India. I was told to meet the immigration officials, but could not as it was Jumma (Friday) and a government holiday. I made a mistake by leaving India. All were after my life. I had to hide my family in India for their safety and left in a hurry," says Khan, seeking help from Bengaluru police commissioner Alok Kumar for his return and safety of his life. Khan, however, did not disclose in the video from which country airport and in which airlinea¿s aircraft he was off-loaded and by whom. As the SIT, set up to probe the scam, got Khan's passport suspended to prevent him fleeing from where he fled to, ostensibly, Dubai, the airport security directed him to get official clearance even to fly back to India. "To secure Khan's custody, we got the Interpol to issue a blue corner notice on Saturday to locate, identify and obtain information on him as he was wanted here for criminal investigation,a said Gowda. The SIT also invoked the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act 2004 on Sunday to ensure justice to about 35,000 investors by recovering their money.  

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Trump aims at health cost transparency with executive order

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