IMA scam: SIT arrests moulvi for encouraging people to invest in ponzi scheme

Politics

The SIT in a release said IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan gifted the moulvi a house worth Rs 3 crore in HBR Layout for the same.

TNM Staff

In the latest arrest in the IMA ponzi scheme case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore scandal has arrested one moulvi Asfar Azeezi, of a Shivajinagar mosque, for encouraging people to invest with the tainted company. “The accused had encouraged thousands of men and women to invest in IMA. During prayer meetings, he had defined investing in IMA as a religious responsibility and each Muslim should stand by Khan (Mansoor) and make him one of the biggest business tycoons of Bengaluru,” SIT sources told The Times of India. The SIT in a release said IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan gifted the moulvi a house worth Rs 3 crore in HBR Layout for the same. This arrest comes a couple of days after the police arrested Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Vijay Shankar (IAS) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 crore.   Earlier, the police arrested Assistant Commissioner of the Revenue Department LC Nagaraj, BDA Executive Engineer Kumar, city corporator Syed Mujahid and village accountant Manjunath, for allegedly accepting bribes to the tune of crores from the tainted IMA founder Mansoor Khan. Those arrested include the 12 board directors of the company, while Mansoor Kumar continues to evade arrest and is allegedly hiding in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Karnataka High Court ordered issue of notices to the state and central governments, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Serious Fraud Investigation Organisation (SFIO) and the SIT probing the case, on a petition filed by Vijay Shankar. Vijay Shankar has sought a probe by CBI and other central agencies in the case following his arrest. On the other hand, Advocate-General Udaya Holla said there was no need for such an investigation as the offences in the case were carried out within the territory of Karnataka. He also appealed that the case be clubbed with the other IMA case heard by the Division Bench of the HC.  

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No tie-up between BJP and JD(S): Karnataka CM says alliance with Congress strong

Politics

According to JD(S) insiders, it was a BJP ploy to further weaken the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance which at the moment has suffered a slew of resignations.

TNM Staff

The JD(S) top brass on Thursday night went into damage control mode as they rejected media reports claiming a tie up between the BJP and the party amidst the current political crisis. Late on Thursday evening after Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar addressed the media, a section of media claimed that the BJP was offering to form the government with JD(S). The media reports were based on a meeting between JD(S)’s Sa Ra Mahesh who is the Tourism Minister, with BJP Karnataka-in-charge Muralidhar Rao and senior MLA KS Eshwarappa. Commenting on this, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy tweeted, “It is unnecessary to give importance to Tourism Minister Sa. Ra. Mahesh's casual meeting with BJP leaders at the new building of KK guest house, managed by KSTDC which comes under his portfolio..” He added, “Congress -JDS coalition in the state is going strong despite the efforts to destabilize. We are confident and prepared for a smooth and fruitful conduct of legislative sessions.”  Congress -JDS coalition in the state is going strong despite the efforts to destabilize. We are confident and prepared for a smooth and fruitful conduct of legislative sessions. 1/2 — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 11, 2019 Congress -JDS coalition in the state is going strong despite the efforts to destabilize. We are confident and prepared for a smooth and fruitful conduct of legislative sessions. 1/2 — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 11, 2019   Even the Twitter handle of the JD(S) said, “It is natural for lawmakers and ministers to go to the Kumarakripa Guest House. On this occasion, Mahesh had accidentally met Eshwarappa and Muralidhara Rao on the way. It does not mean any special meaning. The JDS-Congress alliance is strong and will continue to have effective governance.” According to JD(S) insiders, this was a BJP ploy to further weaken the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance which has recently suffered a slew of resignations. Meanwhile, addressing the press, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that he needs time to examine the resignation letters submitted by 10 rebel MLAs to ascertain if they are genuine, giving the government some breathing time. On the other hand, the BJP had said that they won’t force a trust vote just yet as the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly will convene on Friday. When it comes to numbers, the Kumaraswamy government is surviving due to the technicality cited by Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to not decide on the resignation of the 15 rebel MLAs. The strength of the Assembly is 224 including Speaker. With the resignation of 15 MLAs, the quorum will reduce to 211. Following the spate of resignations, the Congress-JD(S) coalition has 101 MLAs while the BJP has 107 MLAs on its side.  The coalition does not have the majority to rule the government if the Speaker accepts the resignations. On the other hand, the Supreme Court will continue to hear the plea filed by the 10 rebel MLAs who alleged that the Speaker was dilly-dallying their resignation and was not acting in an unbiased manner.  

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After dramatic arrival at Vidhana Soudha, 10 rebel MLAs rushed back to Mumbai

Politics

Almost immediately after meeting the Speaker and tendering their resignations, the MLAs were whisked back to HAL Airport to head back to Mumbai.

TNM Staff

Dramatic scenes unfolded at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday evening as the 10 rebelling MLAs (7 Congress and 3 JD(S)) arrived in Bengaluru to, once again, submit their resignations to Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.  Around 5 pm, Speaker Ramesh Kumar reached his Bengaluru office in Vidhana Soudha. However, the rebel MLAs, who took two chartered flights from Mumbai, reached Bengaluru’s HAL airport around 4.40 pm. Notably, Bengaluru is known for its traffic congestion.  Racing the make the 6 p.m. deadline, visuals showed the MLAs barrelling through Bengaluru traffic on a bus. Although the bus, escorted by a police convoy, was initially stuck in traffic, police cleared the route to allow the MLAs to reach the Speaker's office on time.  The MLAs, finally, reached the Vidhana Soudha premises, five minutes past the deadline of 6 pm. Rebel Congress MLA Byrathi Basavaraj sprinted to the Speaker's office. Some MLAs, too, briskly walked to the Speaker’s office, with their resignation letters, along with their respective personal assistants. The MLAs who entered Speakers office were Ramesh Jarkiholi, Munirathna Naidu, Byrathi Basavaraj, ST Somashekhar, BC Patil, K Gopalaiah, Shivaram Hebbar, Narayana Gowda, AH Vishwanath, Prathap Gouda Patil and Mahesh Kumathalli. Almost immediately after meeting the Speaker and tendering their resignations, the MLAs were whisked back to HAL Airport to head back to Mumbai. Congress leaders have been attempting to pacify the MLAs this week. Congress troubleshooter DK Shivakumar stood outside their hotel in Mumbai earlier this week but the MLAs refused to meet with him and sought police protection.  Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court had asked the Speaker to make a decision on the fates of the rebelling MLAs but the end of the day. However, Speaker Ramesh Kumar rejected that instruction and following the MLAs’ departure, he told the media that he had yet to make a decision on the resignations.

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K'taka Speaker buys time, says he will need to examine resignation letters

Politics

The Supreme Court had ordered 10 rebel MLAs to appear before the Speaker regarding their resignations from the Assembly.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said that he needs time to examine the resignation letters submitted by 10 rebel MLAs to ascertain if they are genuine. This comes on the day the Supreme Court had ordered 10 rebel MLAs to appear before the Speaker regarding their resignations from the Assembly. In a press conference held at the Vidhana Soudha after the meeting with the rebel MLAs, Ramesh Kumar said, "The MLAs tendered their resignations today. I will follow the Constitution. I have taken their letters. I need to investigate and hear them individually before making a decision. I have already given appointments to five of them. The MLAs who gave the resignation letters later will be called on later dates." The Supreme Court ordered the 10 rebel MLAs to appear before the Speaker by 6 pm on Thursday. The Speaker was also directed to take a decision on their resignations and inform the top court of his order on Friday.   When asked about the Supreme Court's order, Ramesh Kumar said, "Should I not respect rules or Constitution? I am not under anyone's obligation. I am obligated to come in front of the public of this state." The rebel MLAs, who were staying in a hotel in Mumbai, rushed to Bengaluru by flight on Thursday afternoon. As directed by the apex court, they were escorted from the airport to the Vidhana Soudha by a convoy of police. They arrived at the Vidhana Soudha shortly after 6 pm, just minutes after the deadline set by the Supreme Court. Hundred policemen including Bengaluru commissioner Alok Kumar escorted the rebel MLAs inside. Visuals even showed MLAs Byrathi Basavaraj running to the Speaker’s office at the Vidhana Soudha.    The Supreme Court had earlier in the day refused to give an urgent hearing to the Speaker’s plea to seek more time and vacate the SC order directing him to decide on resignations of 10 rebel MLAs forthwith. The top court said that the Ramesh Kumar’s plea will be heard along with the plea of the 10 rebel MLAs on Friday.  The 10 rebel MLAs who arrived from Mumbai are Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkhiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, ST Somashekar, Arbail Sivaram Hebbar, Mahesh Kumathalli, K Gopalaiah, HD Vishwanath and Narayan Gowda. The rebel MLAs shifted to Mumbai after submitting their resignations on July 6. Efforts by Congress leader DK Shivakumar to reach out to the MLAs and pacify them failed after the legislators sought police protection from Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy. Shivakumar was then taken into preventive custody by the Mumbai police and released at night.  The Speaker had earlier in the week stated that the resignation letters of 8 MLAs were not in the correct format while five others had submitted them in the correct format- Anand Singh, Ramalinga Reddy Pratapgouda Patil, Narayana Gowda and Gopalaiah. According to officials at the Speaker's office, the resignation letters must be hand-written by the MLAs themselves and must not include additional information like the reasons for resigning. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) head Siddaramaiah issued a whip on Thursday to Congress MLAs to attend the first day of the monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly beginning on Friday failing which the MLAs will be disqualified under the anti-defection law.  The JD(S) has filed a petition before the Speaker to disqualify the three rebel MLAs from its party while the Congress is yet to file a petition seeking a disqualification against its rebel MLAs. The Congress had earlier filed a petition before the Speaker to disqualify Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumatahalli. The party is yet to file a fresh petition against the other rebel MLAs. 

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‘BJP won’t push for trust vote in Assembly’: Karnataka MLA Ashoka

Politics

This comes soon after the Karnataka Cabinet announced that a Finance Bill will be tabled in the Assembly on Friday.

TNM Staff

Amidst the on-going political crisis in Karnataka, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP MLA R Ashoka on Thursday said that the party won’t push for a trust vote in the Assembly as the Monsoon session begins on Friday. “Tomorrow we will expose how this government does not have the majority. The CM is accusing the media of spreading fake news. So tomorrow, the media and the CM will know the truth,” he told reporters outside the state Assembly. Stating that the BJP will neither push for forming a government nor a trust vote, Ashoka said, “We will protest in the Assembly because the government is dead. The development in the state has been crippled. We are reeling from drought and the government has not done anything to tackle it. We have watched the trailer. Now we will watch the film.” This comes soon after the Karnataka Cabinet met and announced that they will table a Finance Bill in the Assembly on Friday. Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Krishna Byre Gowda, who is the Rural Development Minister, said, “We will table the Finance Bill tomorrow (Friday). The whip will be issued on Thursday. The Opposition has every right to ask for counting of votes for the Finance Bill. Let them do it. If the Opposition wants, they can move a no-confidence motion as well. We will prove the majority.” He added, “If the Finance bill is not passed, then it will automatically mean that the government does not have the majority.” Meanwhile, with the Supreme Court refusing to give an urgent hearing to Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s plea, he is expected to decide the resignation of the 15 MLAs of the ruling coalition by the end of Thursday. The Speaker had filed a petition on Thursday to seek more time and vacate the SC order directing him to decide on resignations of 10 rebel MLAs forthwith. 

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Amidst political uncertainty, Kumaraswamy govt gives nod to multiple infra projects

Politics

Krishna Byre Gowda, who is the Rural Development Minister, said the government will be able to prove a majority if a no-confidence motion is moved.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday green lit multiple infrastructural projects amidst the recent power crisis in the state that has even reached the Supreme Court. The cabinet appeared confident of holding on to power, though Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar was asked by the court to decide on the resignation of the rebel MLAs of the ruling combine.  Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Krishna Byre Gowda, who is the Rural Development Minister, said, “We will table the finance bill tomorrow. Party whip will be issued today. The opposition has every right to ask for counting of votes for the finance bill. Let them do it. If the opposition wants they can move a no-confidence motion as well. We will prove the majority.” He added, “If the finance bill is not passed, then it will automatically mean that the government does not have the majority.” Speaking on the Jindal issue, Byre Gowda said, “The cabinet sub committee has not taken any decisions regarding Jindal land deal. The committee has asked for all documents and correspondence related to the issue. It is still being reviewed and no decisions have been made.” In one of the major decisions, the cabinet has decided to withdraw the amendment of the Karnataka Municipal Acts, 2013 which was pending before the Centre for more than three years. The state government will now look into the BS Patil committee recommendations for alternatives based on which the Bill was initially passed.  Whitetopping works as part of the Nava Bengaluru scheme -- the work for existing tenders that were already issued -- will go as per schedule. For three different whitetopping projects throughout the city, they are allocated Rs 147 crore, Rs 211 crore and Rs 207 crore respectively. The cabinet has approved a project to supply treated water from Hebbal Nagavara valley to 24 lakes in Bagepalli at the cost of Rs 70 crore and another Rs 50 crore has been allocated for construction of underground drainage system and STP in the areas surrounding Hesarghatta and TG Halli lakes to stop entry of untreated sewage into these water bodies. Rs 30 cr for the clean up of Chikkabanavara lake, and Rs 80 crore for the clean up of Ganigarahalli lake has been allocated. Other than this, the cabinet also approved Rs 750 crore for construction of canal on right bank under upper Krishna project phase 2.   

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White House kills drug rebate rule

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