'Cop called us Bangladeshi, asked us to vacate': Settlement in Bengaluru fears eviction

Immigration

Residents of a settlement in Bengaluru's Munnekolala alleged that the Varthur Police Inspector warned them to vacate the premises within two days.

Theja Ram

Tension prevailed among the residents of a temporary settlement in Bengaluru’s Munnekolala near Varthur on Wednesday morning. Over 200 residents of the settlement located opposite the Sobha Dreamacres apartment complex in Varthur fear eviction by the local police. Topi Sheikh, a 30-year-old resident of the settlement in Munnekolala, who is from Odisha, had returned to his 20x10 sq ft hutment after work on Tuesday afternoon at around 3 pm, when a commotion at the entrance of the settlement caught his attention. When Topi Sheikh, went to inquire, he saw a police officer standing and issuing a warning to the residents, who had gathered around. “He was the new inspector of the Varthur Police Station. His name is Putta Obala Reddy. He said he had taken charge just three days ago and wants to ensure that all settlements like ours in his jurisdiction would be wiped off,” Topi Sheikh said. Topi Sheikh’s neighbour, Sanjay Sarkar, a 29-year-old hailing from Nadia district in West Bengal, works as a dry waste segregator. Sanjay says that he was the first to speak with Inspector Obala Reddy when he arrived at the settlement. “He told us that we are all Bangladeshis, who are living here illegally. When we showed him our identity documents, he told us that he didn’t care and that we must vacate the settlement within the next two days. He said our houses would be demolished on Saturday,” Sanjay Sarkar added. Around 70 to 100 residents of the settlement gathered outside Sanjay’s residence on Tuesday evening to discuss their next course of action. Sanjay Sarkar, Topi Sheikh and Shafiullah – residents of the settlement, decided to call the site owner and ask him to intervene. Munikrishna Reddy is the owner of the land demarcated as survey numbers 42/3 and 42/4, where the settlement is located. Speaking to TNM, Munikrishna Reddy said that he arrived immediately and decided to approach the police along with the residents. Munikrishna Reddy and Shafiullah collected photocopies of the Aadhaar cards and Voter IDs of all residents and submitted it to the Inspector. “He just refused to look at it. He accused us of being Bangladeshi and he said that Mamata Banerjee had ensured Bangladeshis had fake identity documents. When we told him that there is a High Court order against illegally demolishing the houses, he said he doesn’t care about that,” Shafiulla said. Munikrishna Reddy said that Inspector Obala Reddy allegedly threatened to file a case against him for “harbouring illegal immigrants” if he did not ask the settlement dwellers to vacate the houses within the next two days. “The police are putting pressure not only on me but also other site owners. There are around 40,000 people living in sites like mine in Munnekolala, Lalmatti settlement located near Kirti Apartments, Kalikatta located near Vaghdevi School and Balagere and Thubarahalli. All these fall under the Varthur limits and the inspector told us that he would ensure all these settlements are gone,” said Venkatesh, another plot owner on whose land a settlement has come up. Topi Sheikh said that the police checks on the settlements dwellers has increased ever since the hutments at Thubarahalli were demolished earlier in January. Many huts in the Thubarahalli settlement was demolished in January but now both the BBMP and the police are claiming to the court that they had played no role in the demolition. Speaking to TNM, Inspector Obala Reddy denied the allegations made by the residents and said that he only went to inform the settlement dwellers that the police would not allow illegal immigrants to live there. “I did not call them illegal immigrants. I only told them that if there are any illegal immigrants living there, they must inform the police. I did not say they were all illegal immigrants. There is obviously some miscommunication,” Inspector Obala Reddy said. Varthu Sub-Inspector Dharanesh KL said that the police conducts surprise checks at the various settlements to check for illegal immigrants. He said that the confusion with Inspector Obala Reddy may have risen as they had received a copy of the High Court order regarding the settlements only on Wednesday morning. “I have been collecting identity documents of people living in settlements in our jurisdiction since the last two years. My job is to ensure that no illegal immigrants are living in the settlements. We are not out to harass citizens but we have no option but to conduct surprise checks to weed out the immigrants,” he added.   

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Nithyananda's bail cancelled by Karnataka HC in 2010 rape case

Crime

On February 3, the Karnataka Police told the court that they were unable to send the notice to Nithyananda as he is currently on a spiritual tour.”

TNM Staff

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail issued to self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda in connection with the rape case filed against him in 2010. The High Court had granted Nithyananda bail in June 2010.  Justice John Michael Cunha cancelled Nithyananda’s bail after a petition requesting the same was filed by whistleblower Lenin on January 26. The High Court had issued a notice to Nithyananda on February 1 when it decided to hear Lenin’s petition. On February 3, the Karnataka Police, however, told the court that they were unable to send the notice to Nithyananda as he is currently on a spiritual tour.”   The counsel appearing for the petitioner stated that Nithyananda had fled the country, although his passport had been cancelled and a blue corner notice was issued against him by Interpol in connection with a case registered in Gujarat. However, the counsel appearing for the state government said that they did not know the whereabouts of Nithyananda. Reports indicate that Nithyananda has left India, either on a fake passport or bearing a second passport. Thus, he would not be available for trial, the petitioner informed the court. The High Court, in response, asked, "Why has his presence not been secured before the trial court? Did you (prosecution) file any objections to the exemption granted?” Live Law quoted the judge as saying. Nithyananda is facing trial under sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 114 (criminal abetment), 201 (disappearance of evidence, giving false information), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and other charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the III Additional District and Sessions Court in Ramanagara in Karnataka. Since the complaint was filed in 2010, Nithyananda has been arrested twice and been granted bail by higher courts, successfully delaying the start of the trial. Ultimately, the victim approached the apex court to seek justice. The Gujarat police had declared him as wanted as he failed to appear for trial in a child abduction case.    

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Bidar sedition row: Mother, teacher to be in jail for more time, bail plea deferred

Controversy

Nazbunissa, the mother of a student, and Fareeda Begum, the head teacher of the primary section in the school were arrested on January 30.

Prajwal Bhat

The Bidar District and Sessions Court on Wednesday decided to hear a bail petition for the mother of a student and a head teacher at Shaheen Primary and High School in Bidar district of Karnataka on February 11. The duo were arrested on charges of sedition. The court has asked the Public Prosecutor to reply to the bail application within a week. Nazbunissa, the mother of a student, and Fareeda Begum, the head teacher of the primary section in the school were arrested on January 30 over a play staged in the school on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The play was staged by students of classes 4, 5 and 6 on January 21. Subsequently, an FIR was registered by police officials in Bidar New Town Police Station based on a complaint by Nilesh Rakshala, an activist of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on January 26. Nilesh, in his complaint, accused the school management of 'insulting' Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the play. He also accused the school management of sedition. Police registered the FIR charging the school management with sedition but they are yet to explain whether sedition charges are applicable. Police officials in Bidar, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Basaveshwara Hira have turned up at the school five times over the past week to question students. Police officials are collecting information about the role of staff and students in staging the play. They are yet to explain on what grounds sedition charges were filed against the school management. Nazbunnisa is the mother of Ayesha* (name changed), the girl who is accused of 'insulting' Prime Minister Modi through a dialogue in the play. The head-teacher was arrested as she was in charge of the play. Nazbunnisa is a widow and since her arrest, Ayesha has been living with their neighbour as their close relatives are not in Bidar. The charge of sedition has been used against those protesting against the CAA in a bid to declare their actions as anti-national. Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code defines sedition as "any attempt to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection towards the lawful government". Yet, under explanations in the same law, it is pointed out that comments expressing “disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means” are not offences.  The school management stated that it will fight the charge of sedition registered against them. "We are being continuously harassed by police turning up every day at the school and asking the same questions to the students. The police is asking questions like 'Who scripted the play?' and 'Where was practice held?',"says Touseef Madikeri, CEO of the school.

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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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