Flower vendors in Karnataka find Rs 30 crore deposited in bank account overnight

Bank officials showed up at Rehana Banu’s house to question them about a “large deposit” and since then, her account has been frozen.

TNM Staff

A couple in Karnataka’s Chennapatna, who sell flowers for a living, was shocked to find that Rs 30 crore had mysteriously been deposited in their bank account overnight.  Rehana Banu and her husband Syed Buhan’s bank account, which was started under the Jan Dhan Yojana which allows people to open zero balance bank accounts, originally had a balance of Rs 60. In December last year, the couple found that their bank balance had rocketed to Rs 29,99,74,084. The couple realised something was amiss when bank officials visited their home to question them about a “large deposit” and to inform that their bank account had been frozen. Since then, the couple has been going from pillar to post to gain access to their accounts and find out who deposited the money. The couple first went to the bank to find out what was the amount, but bank officials did not tell them. They were not willing to update the passbook at the bank, as the account was frozen, TH reported. Bank officials also kept asking them who sent them the money, but the couple stated they knew nothing about it. Syed then visited an ATM and found that nearly Rs 30 crore had been deposited into his wife’s account, but he could not withdraw the money. Syed then recalled that he had bought a saree from an online shopping platform and they had called back to say that he had won a car and then asked for his bank account details and the OTP. The couple were asked to pay a deposit of Rs 6,900, but Syed said that they were trying to raise money for his ear surgery and could not afford it. However, Syed gave the information they requested but didn’t hear back from them. Syed then also tried to file a complaint with the I-T department suspecting fraud, but the officials reportedly turned him away. He then finally decided to approach the Channapatna police. On January 9, the police finally took up his case. Syed told the police that an unknown person from Delhi had recently contacted him claiming that he had sent him money and had asked him to keep Rs 15 crore and give him the rest, Deccan Herald reported. The police have filed a case under cheating, impersonation and also under various sections of the I-T Act and the IPC. The police suspect online fraudsters may be misusing Syed’s account and are trying to locate the man who contacted Syed.

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Hoping sedition case is withdrawn, Bidar school students offer prayers

Controversy

Police turned up at the school for the fifth time on Monday to question students, even as a parent and a teacher continue to be in jail on charges of sedition.

Prajwal Bhat

Even as 11-year-old Ayesha* (name changed) waits to hear the fate of her mother’s bail petition in the Bidar District and Sessions court, students in Shaheen Primary and High School on Tuesday evening gathered at the courtyard of their school to break their fast and offer prayers, in the hope that the recent controversy over a play staged in the school tides over.  “Around 1,000 hostel students in the school gathered inside the school premises to pray and break their fast. This has been happening for the last three days after the police arrested the mother of a student and a teacher of the school,” Touseef Madikeri, CEO of Shaheen Primary and High School in Bidar, told TNM.  Police officials in Bidar district continued to question Ayesha’s batchmates at Shaheen Primary and High School on Tuesday after they turned up at the school for the fifth time. Police officials in plainclothes, led by Basaveshwara Hira, Bidar Deputy Superintendent of Police, questioned students involved in a programme organised in the school on January 21.  “The investigating officer is collecting information about the play from staff and students in the school. The officers are speaking to the students based on their availability. A few students were not present when the police visited earlier. We cannot divulge details of the investigation at this moment,” Bidar Superintendent of Police Nagesh DL told TNM.  During the programme organised on January 21, a play was staged by students of classes 4, 5 and 6 in which they voiced dissent against the new controversial citizenship law, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Police officials in Bidar registered an FIR against the school management charging them with sedition after a complaint by an activist of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Nilesh Rakshala on January 26. Police arrested Fareeda Begum, head-teacher of the school’s primary section and Nabunnisa, the mother of Ayesha, a student who performed in the play. Ayesha is accused of delivering a dialogue that allegedly ‘insulted’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  “Since the arrests, there is an environment of fear in the school because the police are here every day to question students. The police are repeatedly asking the same questions about how the play was staged, who scripted it and who were involved in it,” Touseef told TNM.  The duo arrested are still in jail since their bail hearing is set to come up in court only on Wednesday as the judge has been on leave.  Nazbunnisa is a widow and since her arrest, Ayesha is living with her neighbour Mohammed Hafeez, a cloth shop owner in Bidar. “She does not have family in Bidar so we are taking care of her now. She is crying whenever she is reminded of her mother and she is not eating food properly. She is constantly worried about what has happened in the last two weeks,” says Hafeez, speaking to TNM.  On Tuesday, Rizwan Arshad, Congress MLA from Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar, visited the school and spoke to the school’s management. He also registered his displeasure over the police’s handling of the issue in a meeting with Bidar SP Nagesh DL. A protest was also held in Bengaluru’s Mysore Bank Circle by ‘We The People of India’, the collective that has been organising anti-CAA protests across the state in the last two months.

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Karnataka CM launches scheme to provide govt services at your doorstep

The Karnataka government has launched home delivery of certain identity cards on a pilot basis.

PTI

File photo

The Karnataka government on Tuesday launched the Janasevaka scheme in a few municipal corporation wards to ensure home delivery of various services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards. The scheme, which was launched by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, will pertain to 53 services involving 11 departments. "Janasevaka under the Sakala scheme is a programme to avail the benefits of government schemes at the doorstep. Our objective is to make the lives of the citizens of Karnataka easy by launching this scheme," the Chief Minister said. Sakala aims to ensure on-time delivery of government services to citizens by practising innovative and efficient management systems through capacity building in government and empowering citizens to exercise their right to service. Minister for Sakala and Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar said "The scheme that was implemented in Dasarahalli area on a pilot basis will now be extended to Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli and Rajajinagar areas." He added that it will benefit the senior citizens of the city. If the scheme works well, it will be implemented across Bengaluru in all the 27 assembly segments, Suresh Kumar said, adding that based on the experiment in Bengaluru, it will be extended to Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad. Under the scheme, there will be one volunteer in each ward. These volunteers have been outsourced. A toll-free helpline has been set up for this scheme which will work from 8 am to 8 pm. A sum of Rs 115 will be charged to provide the home delivery services. In addition to it, the Karnataka government also allows one to seek information under the RTI Act easier by making it an online process. People can apply from wherever they are, by making the application and paying the fee online. This makes the process hassle-free, the Chief Minister said.

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Coronavirus quarantine, travel ban could backfire, experts fear

The government has broad legal authority to detain people in the name of public health. But politically and diplomatically, it’s more complicated.

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‘Never mentioned Gandhi’: BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde denies controversial remark

The BJP MP had questioned the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and described India's independence struggle as an "adjustment" with the British.

TNM Staff

File photo

Karnataka BJP MP from Uttara Kannada, Anantkumar Hegde on Wednesday denied he made any controversial statement calling the Indian freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi as an ‘adjustment’ with the British. Speaking to ANI, Hegde stated that he never made any reference to Mahatma Gandhi.  “All media reports are false, there is a debate over something that I never uttered. I own my statement. I never made any reference to any political party or Mahatma Gandhi or anyone else. I was trying t categorise the freedom struggle. That is all,” Hegde said. He added, “The speech is in public domain if anyone wants to see, it is available online and on my website. If there is any word that I have uttered against Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru or any freedom fighter, show me. This is a meaningless controversy.” The MP’s statement comes a day after the BJP issued a show-cause notice to him. BJP Karnataka President Nalin Kumar Kateel stated that the party's central leadership has served the notice to Hegde after taking strong objections to his remarks targeting Gandhi and has sought an explanation from him. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru on February 1, Hegde had questioned the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and described India's independence struggle as an "adjustment" with the British. “Freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that it attained independence through 'Upavas Satyagrah', Gandhi's preferred mode of agitation, and became Mahapurush (great person),” BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde said. “None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle,” he said. He also referred to Gandhi’s satyagrahas and hunger strike as “drama”. Hegde’s controversial remarks also created a massive uproar in the Parliament, with the Congress raising slogans against the MP and the BJP as well. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the BJP leader has "insulted" Mahatma Gandhi, who is respected by people across the globe. Opposition members including Congress MPs jumped into the well displaying placards and shouting slogans. Congress members later staged a walkout and after a ruckus, the House was adjourned. 

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Bidar school sedition case: Police probe raises questions of religion-based profiling

Controversy

The Bidar police on Tuesday questioned the children of Shaheen Primary and High School for the 5th time, raising several questions about the investigation.

Theja Ram

The Bidar police on Tuesday questioned minor students of the Shaheen Primary School for the fifth time in connection with the sedition case registered against the school’s management and one parent. The sedition case was slapped after students staged a play, which was against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on January 21. On January 26, the sedition case was registered. Ever since the police have questioned the children multiple times. This has raised several questions over why investigators have not shown restraint while handling the case; and also whether the government is influencing the police in clamping down on the rights of the minority community. Allegations of religious-based profiling Over a month ago, a school in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, owned by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat was in the spotlight after students staged a play regarding the demolition of the Babri Masjid. A video of the play shows at least a hundred children on stage rushed towards a huge poster of the Babri Masjid, as a narrator said on a loudspeaker: “They start demolishing the structure with anything they can get their hands on. With enthusiasm, Hanuman bhaktas with Hanuman’s anger, they bring down Babri structure. Bolo Shri Ramachandra ki, Jai!” As the proclamation of Ram’s name came on the loudspeaker, the poster of Babri Masjid was brought down by the students, and the children on stage cheered and jumped in excitement. The video went viral on December 15, 2019. A case was registered against Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, the RSS leader who owns the school under sections 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code. A sedition case (rightly) was not registered. So far, the police have not made any arrests in the case. Several politicians including Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi had lauded the performance as well. However, in the case of Shaheen Primary and High School, the management and parent of one little girl were booked for sedition. While the police showed restraint and did not subject children to interrogation in the school in Dakshina Kannada, the same restraint was not offered to the students of Shaheen Primary and High School. “This is clearly profiling on religious grounds. Just because the school is run by members of the Muslim community, a sedition case has been slapped against them. The police did not question the children in the Dakshina Kannada school case, as should be. Children are not to be subjected to such interrogation as it can have a huge impact on their mental health. Questioning school management is different from subjecting small children to interrogation and intimidation,” alleges Professor Rajendra, a member of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties. Professor Rajendra alleges that the ruling BJP, whose leaders have repeatedly made Islamophobic statements were trying to clamp down on dissent and intimidate the minority community. “Only children at the school in Bidar are being subjected to this and just because they criticised the Prime Minister. Our Constitution allows us to criticise our leaders and government policy. Even when there was no cause to file a sedition case it is being done to intimidate the minorities into voicing their dissent against CAA and NRC. The BJP is pressurising the police into doing their bidding. The police must exercise restraint and be unbiased,” he further alleges. Police investigation flawed? Bidar SP Nagesh says that the investigating officer Basavehwar submitted a report of his investigation to him on Tuesday. He says he has followed due process. “I took charge as SP two days ago and I asked the IO (Investigating Officer) to submit a report. In it, he has said that he had ensured the presence of women police officers and also the presence of the child protection officer. He said he took the help of the Special Juvenile Protection Unit in questioning the children but the SJPU did not do the questioning itself,” Bidar SP tells TNM. He says that as the interrogation was not conducted within the premises of the police station, there was no requirement of the SJPU to directly question the children. Speaking to TNM, Arvind Narrain, a lawyer practicing with the Karnataka High Court and specialises in cases falling under the Juvenile Justice Act, says that the Bidar Police’s investigation into the case has raised certain questions about the investigation procedure they followed. Arvind says that under the Juvenile Justice Act, the police must set up a Special Juvenile Police Unit, whose officers must be trained in questioning children, if they have to interrogate minors. He maintains that the repeated questioning of the children in Shaheen Primary and High School is not the right procedure of interrogation. “The first question is why are they being questioned repeatedly. Secondly, they have not followed due procedure and ensured that those qualified for interrogating the children are doing so. Are these officials even equipped to handle this case in a sensitive manner? The biggest question is whether the police themselves are not following the law,” he says. KSCPCR issues notice to police As the Karnataka government and the police came under the spotlight and have been accused of harassing the children in the school, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued a notice to the Bidar SP, the officials of the Department of Public Instruction in Bidar and also the Disctrict Child Protection Officer regarding the repeated questioning of the children. “We have issued a notice and asked for a response from each of these entities as to what was the need to question the children so many times and whether due process was followed and they adhered to the laws prescribed under the Juvenile Justice Act. We have asked them whether the interrogation was necessary at all since the play criticised government policy and no actual violence took place,” an official with the KSCPCR tells TNM. He also said that the KSCPCR will form a committee by the end of Tuesday, which will also probe the matter and submit a report in the coming weeks.

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Photos: Inside Kannada actor Chetan and activist Megha’s socially conscious wedding

Wedding

Chetan and Megha gave their wedding guests the Indian Constitution as a return gift.

Geetika Mantri

Kannada actor Chetan recently married his partner Megha, an activist, at an event that was as unconventional as it was progressive. The couple registered their marriage on February 1 at the sub-registrar’s office in Bengaluru, and the next day, had a reception at the Vinoba Bhave Ashram. And while their wedding was not the traditional “big, fat, Indian wedding” that sees shows of wealth and power, it was an extravaganza – one that showcased the grassroots and culture of Karnataka, Chetan says. Not only did the couple register their marriage under the Special Marriages Act, but their reception at the Ashram on February 2 saw around 3000 people in attendance. The duo took their “vows of values” led by transgender rights activist and Karnataka Rajyotsava Award recipient Akkai Padmashali, who was present along with her partner. Ask Chetan about his big day, and the excitement is apparent in his voice: “There were people from so many walks of life – actors, politicians, activists… We were not expecting so many people to turn up. But the fact that they did and in such large numbers from all over the state – it meant a lot to us. There was just a lot of love and affection. Nothing was stiff or formal.” Among the attendees were actor Puneeth Rajkumar and his Ashwini, politicians Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Dinesh Gundu Rao and H Anjaneya, to name a few. The cultural performances included dance performances by Lambani and the Siddi communities in Karnataka, philosophical and Sufi songs, and songs about the Constitution. In fact, the return gift to the attendees was a copy of the Constitution. “We wanted people to read the Constitution, to uphold and abide by its values, and to share our ideals of working towards an equal society,” Chetan says. It was their belief in constitutional values that made Chetan and Megha register their marriage under the Special Marriages Act too. “Neither of us believes in inequality or rituals. We wanted a marriage according to the Constitution,” explains Chetan. And as for their vows, the couple took three– a personal vow, a social vow, and a nature vow. Inspired by Babasaheb Ambedkar’s 22 vows, Periyar’s self-respect marriage, and other progressive practices of marriage such as those of the Kuvempu community in Karnataka, the vows the couple took were: “We both through our own free will & mutuality are taking these three vows of values to validate our marriage union. Personal Vow: We will live the ideals of love, respect, loyalty, honesty, & equality. We will respect & take care of both of our parents mutually to the best of our abilities. We will support one another through thick & thin as loving companions. Social Vow: We will work to remove discrimination in all forms and build an equitable & just society. Nature Vow: We will show compassion for all living beings including plants, birds, animals, and all nature.”    Even the Vinoba Bhave Ashram where the couple got married was a place chosen by Megha and Chetan because they had a connection with it. Since December 2019, the duo had been working with the children in the Ashram, most of whom are from marginalised communities. The couple bought all the children new beds, and helped paint the walls of the Ashram with images of people from marginalised communities, the working class, farmers, as well as birds and animals from nature. “When the children wake up to those paintings every day, we want them to feel proud of where they come from – their communities – and not feel inferior because they speak Kannada and not English,” Chetan says. He adds that he and Megha intend to maintain a long-term relationship with the Ashram and the children in the time to come as well, to support them and help them in whatever way they can. “We value a socially conscious lifestyle. In the end, Megha and I were really emotional and ecstatic that so many people joined us. We hope that they help us in eradicating discrimination, promoting equal opportunity – especially to women and Dalits – and upholding the Indian Constitution in the years to come,” Chetan says. 

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