Ex-Karnataka Min Tanveer Sait attacked by knife-wielding man in Mysuru

Crime

The minister is reportedly stable after undergoing surgery

TNM Staff

File image

Former Karnataka Minister and Congress MLA from Mysuru district, Tanveer Sait, was attacked with a knife by a man in his 20s late on Sunday night. The incident which took place around 11:45 pm in the night when the former minister was attending a wedding ceremony at Bal Bhavan in Bannimantap. According to reports, the surgery at Columbia Asia Hospital went on until the early hours of Monday and the minister was hurt near his neck The Times of India cited sources as saying that the minister walked to a vehicle as he was bleeding to reach the Columbia Hospital which was a kilometre away. The report cited doctors as saying that he had sustained “major injuries”. The assailant has been identified as 24-year-old Farhaan Pasha. The incident has also been reportedly captured by wedding photographers present at the venue. The Hindu reported police sources as saying that the minister’s condition was stable following the surgery. Soon after the incident, Farhaan tried to flee but was cauht by the ex-minister’s supporters and thrashed, before he was handed over to the police. Mysuru City Police Commissioner KT Balakrishna said the assailant was a resident of Udaygiri and was working as a handicraft artisan. Apparently, he was upset that Tanveer Sait did not arrange a job for him even though he had approached him several times. The Hindu said Narasimharaja Police booked Farhaan under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused is being questioned further. Following the incident, police increased security in sensitive areas of the city, including the vicinity of the hospital. Sait had served as the Primary and Secondary Education Minister during the chief ministership of Siddaramaiah and is a five-time MLA from Narasimharaja seat. His father Azeez was also an MLA from the same seat since 1967.

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‘Overworked and underpaid’: 19 bonded labourers rescued from Bengaluru’s Anekal

Crime

The labourers have returned to their native place Krishnagiri, where they await rehabilitation, and government funds.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Photo of inspection by officials

“I often got chest pain and I requested for two months to get treatment. I promised to return, but the owner did not let me go. He asked me, who will do your work when you’re gone?” laments an unnamed 26-year-old bonded labourer, who has now been rescued. This was the reality of 19 workers in tree plantations in the town of Anekal, located two hours from Bengaluru city. Labourers were kept in the guise of returning advances paid, and were overworked with barely enough pay for basic food requirements. The government refers to such a condition as bonded labour: where the labourers are not allowed freedom of movement due to any debt or obligation, a severe human rights violation. In the early hours of Saturday morning, district officials in Anekal along with social workers from the NGO International Justice Mission (IJM), rescued 19 labourers who were trapped in the hands of the traffickers for more than five years. Two labourers among them were minors. Along with these labourers, there were also 10 children who were between the ages of eight months to 17 years. Acting on a tip-off from another rescued bonded labourer, the police quickly got into action beginning at 6 am, and began rescue operations. Rescuers report that these people were in a desperate condition. The labourers and children had wounds on their hands and feet, with no access to hospital facilities. The labourers were initially given a large advance of up to Rs 60,000, and were promised good pay and accommodation facilities. But the same advance proved to be the shackles that kept them tied to their place of work. The reality of living conditions was also starkly different to what they had been promised: they lived in makeshift tents with no sanitation facilities or food to eat.  Investigations and interviews were held on the same day, and the survivors were able to return to where they came from, within 24 hours of being rescued. The labourers were all trafficked from Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, and worked as woodcutters, where they cut down Eucalyptus trees at plantations for two weeks at a stretch without a break. Eucalyptus trees are extremely useful for construction, as they are a fast-growing species, as well as sturdy. Working days for the labourers would begin at 6 am and go on till 7 pm. They were initially promised a wage of Rs 600 per day, but were eventually given only about Rs 250 per week, which works out to Rs 35 per day of work. The current minimum daily wage for wood cutters in Karnataka is Rs 565 per day. Indrajeet Pawar, director of operations, IJM, says that as part of rehabilitation efforts, the labourers are given Rs 20,000 as immediate rehabilitation from the government. However, they would need to wait until they can get documentation to start a bank account first, which would mean that the process of procuring the money is often delayed. He also stated quite emphatically that “IJM does not do rehabilitation programs, but we do offer psychological counselling as they recover from the trauma of bondage.” He said that the labourers can also look forward to work from the MNREGA schemes from the Central government

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Bengaluru's Farzi Cafe, Shiro fined for allegedly violating smoking rules

Health

Both Biere Club and Shiro were fined and reportedly told their licenses would be temporarily suspended.

TNM Staff

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Four pubs and eateries in the central business district (CBD) of Bengaluru were slapped fines for allegedly violating rules related to smoking inside the restaurant premises on Sunday The four establishments subjected to the scrutiny were Shiro, Farzi Cafe, Skyye and Biere Club. BBMP officials inspected the pubs after they reportedly received complaints from the public. The violations were under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA) 2003 and other municipal laws. “Shiro and Biere Club didn’t have proper smoking zones and people were allowed to smoke and drink at the same place, which is against the law,” The Times of India quoted a senior BBMP official as saying. The two establishments were also told that their licenses will be temporarily suspended. While Shiro was fined Rs 15,000, the Biere Club was fined Rs 64,000 reports said Officials further said the other two restaurants were found to have designated smoking zones but they did not comply with the stated guidelines.  Speaking with TOI, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said if establishments allow customers to smoke inside the restaurant, they have to provide a designated place for the same, with the permission of the BBMP officials. Otherwise, he said, the entire premises should be made a non-smoking zone. TNM had earlier reported how in August 30, 2018 the BBMP had issued a public notice banning smoking inside all hotels, bars and pubs in the city. The BBMP had, however, stated that these establishments can have enclosed smoking zones and must obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the same. But more than a month after the notice was issued, BBMP officials said that only two bars had applied for the NOC so far. Instead, many restaurants and bars do not have a smoking zone and allowed customers to smoke inside the premises. The BBMP's Tobacco Control Programme had introduced the ban on smoking in hotels and bars as a part of its "tobacco-free" goal. BBMP officials said they aimed to make the city tobacco-free by 2030. According to a Government of India notification issued in August 2018, any establishment, such as a pub, bar, hotel and restaurant that has a seating capacity of more than 30 members, can have a designated smoking zone and it is mandatory for them to get a no-objection certificate from the BBMP tobacco control cell.

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Clean water from air: Swiss company brings new hi-tech solution to India

Technology

While the company says some industries in India have shown interest in the technology, experts are sceptical about how sustainable or scalable the technology is.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Ever imagined there would come a day when a machine generated water from thin air? Meet AWA Modula, a piece of high tech developed by Swiss company Greentec Aqua, which has a patented process to turn air into potable water. It runs on the principle that as air contains humidity, the water can be extracted from it and used for human consumption. The machine was displayed for public view at Electronic City in Bengaluru recently. The air is run through an air-conditioning unit to take it to dew point. The water that comes out of this process is filtered and “re-mineralised” so that it’s safe for human consumption. The company’s managing director Martin Kolodziejczyk says that the machine is made of galvanised steel and food grade materials, which makes it different from your regular, run-of-the-mill AC reject water. Depending on the variant, you can get anywhere from 250 litres up to 10,000 litres per day from the machine. There’s also a variant that generates ultra-pure, distilled water which doesn’t have any minerals added to it, for use in industrial settings. It’s not a new idea – people have been using water condensation technology for millennia. The first known use of the technology was in Egypt, during the time of the pharaohs. A low-tech version of this is also in use in some parts of China, to provide drinking water in rural areas where there’s low connectivity and water scarcity. Jonathan Wright and David Richards from the US were the first to build it in the form of a machine in 2006, but the technology didn’t catch on at that time. However, now that there’s widespread water scarcity and urgent need for clean drinking water, this comes as an alternative. Greentec Aqua began marketing to India this year, after seeing interest in other developed nations like the US, Australia and UAE. However, AWA Modula comes at a steep cost. The starting price for the smallest 250 liters per day model is € 30,000, about Rs 23.77 lakh in today’s market. The model with 10,000 litres capacity and the highest specs costs € 700,000. There are also running costs. The 250-litre machine uses 3kW per hour, which can go up to 106 kW per day, while the 10,000-litre machine guzzles up to 162 kW per day. Martin says that some big industrial players in India have already expressed interest in the technology. But experts are sceptical about how sustainable or scalable the technology is. “If the machine costs close to Rs 24 lakhs, then who is going to buy it? Industries might be interested, but we must be realistic,” says Priyanka Jamwal, an ATREE fellow who is an expert in water management. “There needs to be a cost-benefit that will make industries consider alternatives to ground water. Groundwater is inexpensive. If the industry is sitting on a place with access to groundwater, all they have to pay for is the electricity to pump it up,” she points out. Conservationist Joseph Hoover says, “How much do you spend on the initial cost and running cost? It’s too much. Technology should be accessible to all. Should only industries have clean water?” Yaduveer Chamaraja Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Mysore, also happened to be at the venue for another engagement, and tried the water along with other locals. If you’re interested in trying a sip of water that has been generated from air, the machine will be on display at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Palace Grounds from November 18-20.

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Byrathi Suresh's wife Padmavathi’s affidavit: Couple’s wealth grows by 8 cr in 18 months

Politics

We compared Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh’s affidavit filed in 2018, and his wife Padmavathi’s affidavit filed now.

Soumya Chatterjee

Congress’s candidate for the Hosakote bye-poll in Karnataka, Padmavathi, filed her affidavit on Sunday. Padmavathi is married to sitting Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh from Hebbal, and this is her first election. The couple’s wealth has grown by just short of Rs 8 crore in the last 18 months.  According to Election Commission rules, a candidate has to declare not just their own assets, but also those of their spouse. The sum of all the assets (moveable and unmoveable) owned by Padmavathi and her real estate tycoon husband Byrathi Suresh amount to a little over Rs 425.5 crore. The affidavit filed by the Hebbal MLA in 2018 had said their assets were worth Rs 416.7 crore. The couple bought two new cars in 2019, including a Mercedes Benz and a Mahindra SUV, both costing little less than Rs 1.2 crore in total. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg .tg-rva0{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} Heads 2019 2018 DIFFERENCE cash in hand 246653 549095 -302442 deposits 9126158.41 8169929 956229.41 investments 10719600 10719600 0 loan given 98152469.8 100593737 -2441267.2 cars 31386111 25910472 5475639 jewellery 16720800 12584800 4136000 residential property 319106646 286537316 32569330 commercial property 1316609630 1279297960 37311670 non-agri land 2262875000 2262875000 0 agri land 180700000 180700000 0   4245643068 4167937909 77705159.21 tag and tag. The first one should be copied and put just before the tag of your website, while the latter (i.e. table code) should be placed in the desired location. Table themes As you probably noticed there is a select box "--Table theme--" in the toolbar which allows selecting a table theme from the predefined set. The generated CSS contains all the necessary colors etc. so that the table should look similar when you paste it to your website. © TablesGenerator.comAboutChangelog They also bought commercial building in HMT Layout with built up area of 9,400 sq ft, in June 2019, for Rs 3.7 crore. Another residential building bought in February in Ali Asker Road costs more than Rs 3.25 crore. Byrathi Suresh made news in January after he had apparently lent his Mercedes car to former CM SIddaramaiah. The car was allegedly given as quid pro quo by Suresh as he had then got the post of chairman of the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation. SIddaramaiah, who was the chairman of the coordination committee between the JD(S) and Congress was touted to be the man to ensure that the chairmanship goes to Byrathi. However, the Congress including several others claimed it was a non-issue.  Speaking to TNM then, Byrathi  claimed, "It’s my car. It's the one I use to travel. It's registered under my wife's name. I did not gift it to Siddaramaiah. I only let him use it once. Is that wrong? Wouldn't you let your friends ride your car if they need to? It was not a gift. Please try to understand." Incidentally Padmavati will be contesting against MTB Nagaraj – a Congress rebel who has now joined the BJP.  Read: Karnataka rebel MLA MTB Nagaraj’s assets grew by Rs 185 crore in 18 months Making the fight triangular, BJP’s Yuva Morcha secretary and former candidate from Hosakote, Sharath Bachegowda, is contesting as an independent. The JD(S) is poised to support him. Sharath is the son of veteran politician and Chikkaballapura MP BN Bachegowda, who defeated former Congress Chief Minister Veerappa Moily in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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In property, one commercial building in HMT Layout with built up area of 9400 sq ft bought in June 2019 costs Rs 3.7 crore. Another residential building bought in February in Ali Asker Road costs more than Rs 3.25 crore.

The addition in assets with jewellery, automobiles and deposits seem to have been cancelled by reduction in cash in hand and recovery/withdrawal of personal loans.

Incidentally Byrati who seemed to be accumulating the greater share of wealth among the couple. 

In January, he had made news after he had apparently lent his Mercedes car to former CM SIddaramaiah. The car was allegedly given as quid pro quo by Suresh as he had then got the post of chairman of the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation.

SIddaramaiah, who was the chairman of the coordination committee between the JD(S) and Congress was touted to be the man to ensure that the chairmanship goes to Byrathi.

However, the Congress including several others claimed it was a non-issue. 

Speaking to TNM on Sunday, Byrathi  claimed, "It’s my car. It's the one I use to travel. It's registered under my wife's name. I did not gift it to Siddaramaiah. I only let him use it once. Is that wrong? Wouldn't you let your friends ride your car if they need to? It was not a gift. Please try to understand."

Then the BJP had  accused former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of accepting a 2019 Mercedes Benz sedan as a gift from Byrathi as a 

While for Nagaraj, 25.84% of the wealth gain can be attributed to six days in August  just a fortnight after he helped the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, it’s not easy to pinpoint such dramatic rise.

Incidentally Padmavati would be contesting against Nagaraj in the seat who has now been fielded by the BJP as earlier predicted.

Making the fight triangular, BJP’s Yuva Morcha secretary and former candidate from Hosakote will contest from the same seat as an independent. The JD(S) is poised to support him. Sharath is the son of veteran politician and Chikkaballapura MP BN Bachegowda, who defeated former Congress Chief Minister Veerappa Moily in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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Sarjapur residents say ‘illegal’ ad panels posing threat to road safety

Civic

However, a private contractor denied the allegations and claimed they have not done anything wrong.

Soumya Chatterjee

The Karnataka High Court’s scrutiny has ensured that Bengaluru is free from illegal advertising panels including flex banners by and large – but this is not the case even just outside the city limits. Citizen activists in Sarjapur allege that contractors who have been awarded tenders by the local panchayats are putting up ad panels indiscriminately on the divider of the Sarjapur Road. Other than placing these ad panels, those putting the ad panels have uprooted trees planted by the local residents, activists allege. While activist group Voice of Sarjapur has raised the issue multiple times, and has gotten the PWD to write to local panchayats to take action against the people putting up these banners, activists say that this has not helped. Even if PWD officials remove these installations from dividers, they reappear soon on the Sarjapur road stretch from Carmelaram Station to Sarjapur Circle Road, they allege. Deepanjali Naik, a member of Voice of Sarjapura says, “In the pretext of cleaning the divider, all the plants have been removed which were planted as part of a citizen initiative to make the neighbourhood green.” When contacted, Durgappa, Superintendent Engineer, PWD acknowledged the problem and said that he has asked local level engineers to sort out the issue. Based on the compliant by the activists, police have registered a non-cognizable report against unnamed persons. However, one of the private contractors denied the allegations and claimed they have not done anything wrong. Garry Regan, Managing Partner of DS Ads, said, “We have done everything following the norms. We have the requisite permission from the authorities. We will counter them (the activists) legally.

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BS Yediyurappa violated poll code: KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao writes to EC

Politics

The KPCC letter states that referring to the rebel MLAs as ‘future ministers’ was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Soumya Chatterjee

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Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India seeking action against Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel and others over alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct. In his letter, the KPCC president stated that Yediyurappa referring to the rebel MLAs of the former JD(S)-Congress ruling coalition as “future ministers” was a violation of the poll code. It may be recalled that all 16 of the 17 rebels, barring Roshan Baig, who were instrumental in ending the HD Kumaraswamy-led government, were inducted into the BJP following the SC order that they can contest the bye-polls. The disqualification of the MLAs had paved the way for the BJP to form the government in the state in July this year. In his letter, the senior Congress leader said, “BS Yediyurappa described them as ‘future Ministers of Karnataka’ after bye election and also said that all promises made to them would be fulfilled. This statement is made by Sri BS Yediyurappa with a view to induce and to influence the voters of the above said assembly constituencies.” (sic) Incidentally, 13 out of the 17 MLAs have already been given tickets to the bye-polls from the seats they had won during the 2018 elections as part of Congress/JD(S). The BJP announced that Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani), Shrimant Patil (Kagwad), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), BC Patil (Hirekerur), Anand Singh (Vijayanagara), Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura), Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Pura), ST Somashekar (Yeshwanthpur), Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), MTB Nagaraj (Hosakote), Narayanagowda (KR Pet) and AH Vishwanath (Hunsur) would be the party’s candidates in the bye-elections. The Congress also took exception to Yediyurappa stating that the BJP will field not Roshan Baig but M Saravana from Shivajinagara to give representation to the Tamil speaking population. The letter also encloses media reports, in English and Kannada, confirming Yediyurappa’s statements. Seeking action from the EC, the state Congress chief wrote, “These acts of Sri BS Yediyurappa and of the above said candidates of BJP and other leaders of BJP are in violation of the provisions of section 171 of the Indian Penal Code, the Provision section of 123 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 and of the Model Code of Conduct. They have made these acts/statement with an intention to induce and to influence of the voters of the above said assembly constituencies; which is nothing but corrupt practices committed by them which is punishable under the provision of section 171 A to F and Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, Section of the 125 of the Representative People Act 1951 and of the Model Code of Conduct. It is an offence committed by the said leader and the same is reported in the media at large. It is the duty of the Commission to take cognisance suo motu and to initiate action against the said persons.” Moreover, the KPCC president also pointed out that the BJP promising an MLC seat to independent MLA from Ranebennur, R Shankar, who was also disqualified, was also a violation of the model code of conduct which has been put in place since November 11.

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