Karnataka CM Yediyurappa to order CBI probe into alleged phone-tapping scandal

Politics

'All political leaders, including CLP leader Siddaramaiah, have sought a high-level probe into the scandal. So I have decided to order a CBI probe into it,’ the CM told reporters.

TNM Staff

PTI/ File image

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said he will write to the CBI to take up the probe on the recent alleged phone-tapping incidents, allegedly done at the behest of former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. This comes just days after the CM had already directed the Chief Secretary to inquire into the matter. “All political leaders, including CLP leader Siddaramaiah, have sought a high-level probe into the scandal. So I have decided to order a CBI probe into it,” the CM told reporters outside his Dollars Colony residence. Reacting to this development, Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy’s predecessor, welcomed the move in a tweet but questioned if there would be any “misuse” of the central probe agency. He tweeted, “I welcome the decision of @BSYBJP to hand over the phone-tapping case to CBI. But, in the past, @BJP4India has used CBI as its puppet to unleash its venomous political vendetta. Hope @BJP4Karnataka leaders do not have similar intentions this time.” He added, “Allegations of ‘Operation Kamala’ being done in Karnataka is as serious as allegations of Phone tapping. I urge @BSYBJP to order CBI investigation into alleged Operation Kamala also. I heard they acted on my advice in phone tapping case & I hope they act on this issue as well.” The phone-tapping controversy came to light recently after an audio tape, in which new city Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao’s name purportedly figured, was leaked to the media, alleging that he and two other IPS officers were vying for the high-profile post. Soon after this, former JD(S) state president and disqualified MLA from Hunsur, AH Vishwanath, accused HD Kumaraswamy of tapping phones of prominent political leaders when he was the CM. Vishwanath, who was once Kumaraswamy’s trusted lieutenant, held a press conference in Bengaluru and said that Kumaraswamy had tapped the phones of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and also the incumbent CM BS Yediyurappa. Vishwanath accused Kumaraswamy of indulging in criminal activities as he did not trust his own party men andconfidantes. However, Kumaraswamy speaking to reporters on Sunday once again denied any wrongdoing and said he will cooperate with the probe agencies.  

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K'taka gang suspected of terror link turns out to be conmen posing as public servants

Crime

While five accused were acting suspiciously in a car with the label of 'Director, National Crime Investigation Bureau', three others were picked from a lodge by Mangaluru City police.

Harsha Raj Gatty

Ruling out the suspected ‘terror angle’ against the eight individuals detained earlier on Friday evening, the Mangaluru City police said the suspects were allegedly conmen who posed as investigators from the central government and were planning to dupe people on the pretext of carrying out an investigation. On August 16, the local police, who were on high-alert as part of the Independence Day celebrations, noticed that five individuals, sitting in a car at Pumpwell in Mangaluru city, were acting suspiciously. “Acting on a tip-off, a police inspector approached the black car, which had heavily tinted glass and had labels such as 'Director, National Crime Investigation Bureau' and 'Government of India' on it. When we tried to ask some questions, the suspects tried to get away with the car but were waylaid,” Mangaluru City Police Commissioner PS Harsha said.    On being further questioned, the suspects, who were dressed in safari suits, told the officials that they were waiting for instructions from their bosses at a lodge in Kankanady. The accused later admitted that they were planning to trap a local businessman (unidentified) for financial extortion, in the garb of their 'fake' government credentials, police officials said. Subsequently, a police team was sent to Sai Arya Lodge at Kankanady in the city and three more members of the gang were arrested. The city police have also recovered a (.22) revolver from one of the accused, TK Bopanna; in addition a laptop, voice recorder, documents and two unregistered Mahindra TUV and XUV model car. “In fact, Sam Peter (another accused) flashed fake ID card, visiting cards to our police officials and claimed to be the director of National Crime Investigation Bureau when he was confronted at Sai Arya (lodge) before his arrest,” Harsha said. The police added that they have also recovered 4.5 mm pistol and live bullets from Sam Peter’s possession. Articles seized from the gang The vehicle used by the gang According to the police, the eight-member gang was planning to abduct a person by posing as NBCI sleuths and to extort money from him. While 53-year-old Sam Peter, a resident of Kerala, is suspected to be the ring leader, he was aided by Madan (41), Chinnappa (38), Sunil Raju (35), Kodandarama (39), who hailed from Bengaluru; Abdul Lateef (59) and G Mohiudeen (70), residents of Mangaluru; and TK Bopanna (33) from Kodagu. The case against the accused has been lodged at Kadri police station limits and the Mangaluru City police are checking with their counterpart police stations, districts and states if any earlier antecedents existed against those now in custody. The eight have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPS): 170 (personating a public servant), 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 399 (making preparation to commit dacoity), 402 (assembling for purpose of committing dacoity) and 149 (guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object).  They have also been booked under sections 3 (deals with licence for acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition) and 25 (punishment) of the Indian Arms Act, 1959; and section 7 of the State Emblem of India Act, 2005, which  prohibits the improper use of emblem of India for professional and commercial purposes. In the backdrop of the extension of anti-terror exercise observed across Karnataka since the Independence Day celebration, the city police said that the vigilance remained high on any suspicious movements when the accused's unusual behaviour led to the arrest. Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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Karnataka CM Yediyurappa’s cabinet to take oath on Tuesday

Politics

Yediyurappa can induct a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 33 ministers in the state cabinet.

TNM Staff

Karnataka will finally get a cabinet of ministers on Tuesday, more than three weeks after BS Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister for the fourth time. A statement from the CM’s office stated that Home Minister and BJP national president Amit Shah approved the list of potential ministers on Saturday following a meeting with Yediyurappa. “The state BJP legislature party meeting will be held at 10 am on Tuesday in the conference hall of Vidhana Soudha. In the afternoon, the oath-taking ceremony of the new ministers will be held,’ the CMO statement said. This comes after the BJP faced strong criticism for CM Yediyurappa for not having district-in-charge ministers at the time of floods to monitor relief and rescue operations. The CM had earlier confirmed that the cabinet will be formed only after August 16 due to the flood situation.  Yediyurappa can induct a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 33 ministers in the state cabinet, excluding the post of Deputy Chief Minister. Speaking on this earlier, the CM had said, “All the castes and regions will be taken into consideration and will be given an equal share in the cabinet.” TNM had earlier quoted party sources saying, “North Karnataka leaders are given more importance since our voter base lies in the coast and north." Party leaders are also waiting to see the fate of the 16 disqualified MLAs, as Yediyurappa and other BJP leaders had promised 12 of them ministries in order to rebel against their own parties. “If we announce all the ministers now, then there will be a problem. Once bye-polls are done, if the rebels win, then they will have to be allotted ministries. This is why a limited cabinet is being seen as the best way out,” a source had added. The list of probable candidates are MLAs Jagadish Shettar (Hubbali-Dharwad Central), Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), Madhuswamy (Chikkanayakanahalli), Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon), V Somanna (Vijayanagar) and Shashikala Jolle (Nippani) from the Lingayat community; Govind Karjol (Mudhol) and S Angara (Sullia) from the Dalit community; B Sriramulu (Molakalnuru), Shivanagouda Nayak (Devadurga) and Balachandra Jarkiholi (Arabhavi) from the Valmiki Nayak community; MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary from the Billava community; R Ashoka (Padmanabhanagar) from the Vokkaliga community and Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar) from the Brahmin community. Read: K’taka cabinet may be expanded on Aug 19, BJP prepares list of ministerial candidates  

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Stop sending waste to landfills from Nov 1: NGT to Bengaluru municipal body

Civic

The NGT also insisted on stricter enforcement of single-use plastics from September 1.

TNM Staff

PTI/ File image

The National Green Tribunal committee on state-level monitoring of waste management has given the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) a deadline of November 1 to stop sending waste to landfills. “Since all the available landfill sites are filled to the brim, we have no option but to make sure that the wet waste is sorted at ward and community levels. Bulk generators such as defence and police establishments, apartments, etc must compost wet waste. It’s the job of corporators and ward committees to ensure this,” said Justice (retd) Subhash Adi, the Chairman of the National Green Tribunal State Level Monitoring Committee for Solid Waste Management, Karnataka. “By November 1 (Kannada Rajyotsava), the BBMP should set ensure that no waste enters any landfill site. I am sure this deadline can be met as officials are working hard on it,” he added. Subhash Adi was addressing city corporators at the special BBMP council meet on the lacunae in solid waste management. While the Mayor had issued a circular all 198 corporators to attend the session, only 100 attended and even a majority of them left the address halfway, reported The New Indian Express. The Hindu quoted the Mayor stating that tender for wet waste collection would be issued by September-end, and hence they want a deadline extension. “Since the fresh tender is yet to be finalised, we would need more time to implement what the NGT says,” Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said. Other than this, the NGT committee chief insisted on stricter enforcement of single-use plastics from September 1.   Other than the NGT, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also had recently pulled up the BBMP for improper management of garbage and held a meeting with BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad soon after taking oath as CM for the fourth time. According to BBMP estimates, 45% of the city’s unsegregated waste directly goes to landfills. To mitigate the problem, the BBMP officials had proposed a system of collecting only wet waste collection by contractors and dry waste collection by independent waste pickers following national SWM guidelines.   However, that plan has been facing opposition from the Mayoral committee since May. Read: No separate tender for dry and wet waste? Disagreement brews in Bengaluru civic body  

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Court rejects Planned Parenthood bid to freeze Trump's family planning rule

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Yediyurappa says donors can rename only new layouts, not flood-hit villages

Controversy

It was previously reported that the Karnataka CM had said donors could rename flood-hit villages.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has clarified that the state government did not offer to allow donors who contribute above Rs 10 crore to rename flood-hit villages. Instead, only newly developed layouts can be named by donors. On Wednesday, it was reported that the CM had promised over 60 industrialists at the Vidhana Soudha that companies which donate over Rs 10 crore to flood-hit villages can rename these places. After media reports drew criticism, the Chief Minister on Saturday tweeted a clarification. "Clarification: Chief Minister had announced that donors contributing more than Rs. 10 crore will have the layouts named after them, not the villages," read a tweet from his official handle. Clarification: Chief Minister had announced that the donors contributing more than Rs. 10 crore will have the layouts named after them, not the villages. CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 16, 2019 The supposed move to rename flood-hit villages was slammed by the residents of these areas and the BJP's opposition parties. "BSY’s decision looks like a Tughlaq decision. Each village name has its own significance. Villagers who lost all their belongings will now be losing their village identity. Don't keep Karnataka for sale," read a tweet on the Janata Dal's official handle. ಹತ್ತು ಕೋಟಿ ದೇಣಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಕಂಪೆನಿಗಳ ಹೆಸರನ್ನು ಗ್ರಾಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಡುವ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSYBJP ನಿರ್ಧಾರ ತುಘಲಕ್ ನಿರ್ಧಾರದಂತಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಪ್ರತೀ ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಹೆಸರಿಗೂ ಅದರದ್ದೇ ಆದ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಿದೆ. ನೆರೆಯಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿರುವವರಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಹೆಸರನ್ನೂ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಡಿ. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ಮಾರಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಇಡಬೇಡಿ. Janata Dal Secular (@JanataDal_S) August 15, 2019 The floods in Karnataka took the lives of 62 people while 15 others are still missing. The state recorded its highest rainfall in 118 years between August 3 to 10. The rainfall led to flooding in 22 of the state's 30 districts, including 106 of 176 taluks. It also triggered landslides in the Malnad region of Karnataka, blocking important traffic routes and displacing thousands.

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Chargesheet filed in MM Kalburgi murder, nearly 4 years after he was shot dead

Murder

All six accused in the case are also accused in the murder of noted journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh and are affiliated to Sanatan Sanstha, a radical pro-Hindu group.

Prajwal Bhat

  The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of Dr MM Kalburgi has filed the chargesheet against six accused persons, almost four years after the eminent litterateur, scholar and researcher was shot dead by unknown assailants at his home in Dharwad district of Karnataka.    Six accused persons have been named in the chargesheet - Amol Kale (37), Ganesh Miskin (27), Praveen Prakash Chatur (26), Vasudev Suryavamshi (29), Sharad Kalaskar (25), and Amith Baddi (27). Though the press note on the chargesheet says the men worked for an unnamed organisation,the six of them are also named as accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case. In the additional chargesheet filed in the Gauri Lankesh case, these men were named as members of the Sanatan Sanstha, a radical pro-Hindu group. One of the accused, Amol Kale is former Pune convenor of the Sanstha-affiliated Hindu Janajagruti Samiti,   "The members of this organization targeted persons who they identified to be inimical to the organization's belief and ideology. These members strictly followed the guidelines and principles mentioned in "Kshatra Dharma Sadhana", a book published by the Sanatan Sanstha, While recruiting new members to the organization emphasis was proven to identify and recruit those persons with a history of aggression and violence and especially those with a criminal background," read a statement by SIT on Kalburgi case.    Conspiracy hatched after anti-superstition statements   Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015 at his home in Kalyan Nagar in Dharwad. Investigating officials said that the accused persons began hatching the plot to kill Kalburgi after a speech he made in Bengaluru on June 9, 2014.  In his address, Kalburgi had referenced a passage from a book written by UR Ananthamurthy and had made certain observations, particularly about idol worship. This had made Kalburgi a target of a campaign by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other pro-Hindu outfits which had burnt his effigy and called for his arrest.    Between January and May 2015, Amol Kale, Ganesh Miskin and Praveen Chatur, met several times at the Indira Gandhi Glasshouse in Hubballi. The trio studied Kalburgi's daily routine and recce'd his home and neighborhood in Dharwad. In August 2015, Ganesh and Praveen further took up shooting practice in Pilathabettu village in Dakshina Kannada under the guidance of Amol.    On August 30, 2015, the trio met at the Indira Gandhi Glasshouse in Hubballi, where Amol handed a 7.65 mm caliber country-made pistol to Ganesh and Praveen. The duo then travelled to Kalburgi's residence on a stolen bike at around 8:30 am. Ganesh entered the house and shot Kalburgi twice on his forehead to kill him while Praveen and Amol fled from the spot, investigating officials said.   In July 2019, Umadevi Kalburgi, wife of MM Kalburgi, identified Ganesh as one of the assassins involved in the murder. All six persons accused are facing charges under under sections 120(8), 302, 449, 109, 201 r/w 35 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25(1A) 25(18) and 27(1) of the Indian Arms Act.    Members of the Sanatan Sanstha or Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, have been arrested in the murder cases of Kalburgi, Dabholkar, Pansare and Lankesh. Investigating officials have stated that the accused members conspired to kill a number of rational people.     

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