IPL betting racket: Car of Karnataka BJP MLA’s wife seized by Maharashtra cops

Controversy

The car seized by Solapur police belongs to Jayashree B Mattimud, the wife of BJP leader and MLA from Kalaburagi Rural, Basavaraj Mattimud.

IANS

A week after Maharashtra Police raided and seized a car belonging to the wife of Kalaburagi Rural MLA Basavaraj Mattimud, the BJP leader rued that he had been made the target of political machinations by his opponents. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mattimud said that he really did not know that his wife's car was seized by the Maharashtra Police. "I accept that my wife Jayashree's relatives had taken the car for their work and after their return, the Solapur Police came and seized it. I firmly deny any role in any crime they are investigating, but as responsible citizens, we are cooperating with them (Solapur Police)," he said. Mattimud further claimed that he had been made the target by his political opponents who were trying to fix him in one crime or the other, which none of his family members were involved in. "My opponents just derive sadistic pleasure by doing such things," he said. Acting upon a definite information, a special team of Solapur City Crime Branch of Maharashtra Police had raided a house in Kalaburagi last Sunday and arrested two persons and recovered four laptops, over a dozen mobile phones and a vehicle valued at Rs 38 lakh after it busted an IPL cricket betting racket. As per the information provided by the Solapur Police, the siezed car belonged to Jayashree B. Mattimud, the wife of BJP leader and MLA from Kalaburagi Rural, Basavaraj Mattimud. According to sources close to the MLA, the car was regularly used by the MLA's brother-in-law Gorakhnath and he was often seen with the accused persons, whom the police had detained since last week. "Incidentally, ever since the raids took place, Gorakhnath, who used to visit Kalaburagi regularly, is not to be seen anywhere," a source said. According to the sources in the police department, the Maharashtra Police team came to Kalaburagi and with the assistance of MB Nagar Police, it raided the house on November 8, the day on which Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was scheduled to be played between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi. The team arrested Atul Suresh Sirshetty of Solapur and Pradeep Mallayya of Bhavanipet, who were allegedly engaged in betting and also seized four laptops, 13 mobile phones, modems and other equipment apart from the car. One more person, Ghoraknath, the brother of Jayashree Mattimud, is absconding. It is learnt that the team headed by Solapur Crime Branch inspector Sanjya Salukne and sub-inspector Sandeep Shinde had earlier raided a house in Vasanth Vihar in Solapur and arrested Ramachandra Bansal and Vignesh Gajun who were engaged in IPL betting. The interrogation of the duo led the sleuths to Kalaburagi.

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Bengaluru factory fire: 30-year-old man from Odisha succumbs to burn injuries

Accident

Bengaluru police have arrested the three owners of the chemical units over the incident of fire.

TNM Staff

A 30-year-old man in Bengaluru, who was working in Renuka Chemical Godown where a massive fire was reported on Tuesday, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, making him the first casualty of the mishap. The victim has been identified as Bijay Singh, according to Deccan Herald. The Times of India reported that he was admitted to the Victoria Hospital in the city and was suffering from burn injuries.  The DH report said that he had suffered 30% burns in his back and abdomen. According to police, doctors had warned that his chances of surviving were little as the burns would have injured his lungs, kidneys and other vital organs. Reports said that Bijay was one of the four workers who were carrying and moving barrels of chemicals at the godown at around 10:30 am in the morning when the fire broke out. DH said Bijay hails from Odisha and has been working at the factory floor for the last five years and was also staying in an accommodation provided by the factory. He is survived by two children and his wife, who all live in Odisha. Further, the police said that eight people, including fire and emergency personnel, who were injured in the fire are recovering. As reported earlier, on Tuesday, the residents of New Guddadahalli, near the Deepanjali Nagar Metro Station, called the South Fire Station to report a fire at what they claimed was a “chemical factory” in their locality. The fire which started at the Renuka Chemicals soon spread to nearby residential areas too and to Bhagyalaxmi Switch Gears, an electrical parts manufacturing factory, located next to the godown.  Later on Wednesday,  Bengaluru police arrested the three owners of a chemical unit of Rekha Chemicals and Rekha Chemical corporation. The owners Sajjan Raj, 66, Kamala, 60, and Anil Kumar, 30, for conducting their business from a thickly-populated residential locality and without obtaining any requisite permissions from Karnataka Pollution Control Board, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or Fire and Emergency Service departments.

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Karnataka govt-run bus corporation staff to get salaries in 3-4 days: Dy CM Savadi

Transport

According to the state government, the losses for the state-run bus corporations had risen beyond 800 crores by the end of April.

PTI

Representational image

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who holds the Transport portfolio, on Saturday said the issue of non-payment of salaries to the state-run transport corporations would be resolved in the next three or four days. Though important festivals are lined up this month, the KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) and the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) employees have not received the salary as the corporation has been running in huge losses due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and the limited passengers allowed in order to maintain physical distancing. Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Savadi said, "There were some issues related to the payment of salaries but it will be resolved in the next three or four days." Savadi said the department has incurred massive loss due to the lockdowns imposed since the outbreak of coronavirus. The salaries were borne by the state government for the initial two to three months but after that, it was agreed upon by the state government and the transport department to share the burden of salaries of employees at a ratio of 75% and 25% respectively. "With that arrangement, we paid four months salary but this month is a big challenge because our revenues have dried up and we are running in losses. When we sent the proposal to the Finance Department to bail us out as per the agreement, they returned it," Savadi said. According to him, the proposal has been sent to the finance department again. Sources in the transport department said the annual spending on salaries is around Rs 325 crore. According to the state government, the losses for the state-run bus corporations had risen beyond Rs 800 crore by the end of April itself. The main corporation, KSRTC, caters to the state’s 17 southern districts, while NWKRTC serves the six north-western districts and NEKRTC caters to seven north-eastern districts in Karnataka, while BMTC works in Bengaluru and its outskirts.

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Why question Congress when Sampath Raj went absconding under BJP's watch?: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru riots

Sampath Raj, who is an accused in the DJ Halli riots case, has been absconding since October 30.

IANS

File image

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly  Siddaramaiah on Saturday questioned how former Bengaluru Mayor R Sampath Raj went missing from a hospital under the police’s watch. The ex-Mayor, who is an accused in the DJ Halli riots case, has been absconding since October 30. Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah asked why the ruling BJP is questioning the Congress about Sampath Raj going missing from the hospital. "Ruling BJP leaders must realise that the Congress is not in power in the state. It is them, who are in power. The Home Minister of this state is from the BJP and the Chief Minister too, is from the BJP. If the BJP leaders have any questions, they must ask the CM and the Home Minister, and not us," he said. Siddaramaiah further added that the ruling party should at least be aware that the police are under its control as is the whole state machinery. "When the BJP is in control, why should the Congress respond to such questions," he told reporters. Since Sampath Raj absconded, the Karnataka BJP has been targeting Congress leaders on various social media platforms, asking them to clarify the whereabouts of the former Mayor, who has been named by the police in the August 11 Bengaluru riots case. The riots were allegedly fomented after Pulikeshinagar Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy's nephew Naveen Kumar allegedly posted an insidious post on social media. A mob gathered at the KJ Halli and DJ Halli police to seek his arrest, and the situation soon turned out of control, with the crowd indulging in arson and looting. In this incident, Murthy's house was also damaged. When the mob went out of control, the police opened fire, in which four people were killed. More than 300 persons have been arrested in connection with this case. Sampath Raj was named in the 400-page chargesheet submitted by the city police. He was admitted to a hospital complaining of COVID-19 like symptoms, and he absconded from there on September 7. The police have formed special temas to track him, but so far, they have remained unsuccessful.

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Video of elephant in Karnataka drinking water from tanker goes viral

Social Media

The elephant stopped the water tanker to drink water in Ballari district.

IANS

A video clip in which a thirsty elephant is seen stopping a water tanker enroute its procession during Hampi Utsav in Karnataka's Bellary has gone viral. This incident took place during a Shobha yatra (procession) to mark the beginning of the day-long Hampi Utsav on Friday. In the clip, the giant is seen stopping a water tanker and gently signalling its driver to open the tanker lid to help quench its thirst. At first the driver looks perturbed over the elephant coming towards him. But after explanation by the state's Forest Minister Anand Singh's son, Siddharth Singh, who was also present on the spot, that the elephant was asking him to open the lid, the driver then allowed the elephant to quench its thirst. After quenching its thirst, the elephant moved ahead in a procession. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Karnataka had decided to cut short this year's Hampi Utsav to a day-long celebration instead of its three-day annual gala fest. The Hampi Utsav also called as Vijaya Utsav celebrated over two or three days captures the pomp, splendour and glory of the Vijayanagara empire. Hampi, situated 376 km from Bengaluru, has been described by the UNESCO as an "austere, grandiose site" of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India. The backdrop of the Utsav is Hampi and its ruins. The festival includes lighting up of the prominent monuments in Hampi, Jumboo Saavari (elephant procession), performances by some of India's most celebrated singers, dancers and performers, a kite festival, water sports, food courts, photography competition, rangoli and mehendi competition. Hampi Utsav attracts lakhs of visitors from all the parts of the world and is one of the most popular celebrations in Karnataka, making Hampi one of the top places to visit in Karnataka. Watch: Thirsty elephant stops water tanker

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In Basavanna's seat of learning, BJP plans to use tourism to gather votes for bye-polls

Politics

The bye-elections for Basavakalyan, the seat of learning of Basavanna, is slated to be held soon.

Theja Ram

In the wake of the victories in the Sira and Raja Rajeshwari Nagar bye-elections, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s son, BY Vijayendra, has now been tasked with campaigning for the bye-polls in Basavakalyan. After the death of Congress MLA B Narayan Rao from the segment, the seat is now vacant and bye-polls are slated to be held soon. BJP sources said that the constituency, which traditionally voted for the Congress, is a tough task but the party is looking at attracting the Lingayat vote bank.  Vijayendra is now in Basavakalyan, and is scheduled to stay there until the campaign for the bye-elections are complete. In Sira, a region that traditionally voted for either Congress or JD(S), BJP managed to breakthrough and win the bye-elections held on November 3. Vijayendra had conceptualised the campaign for Sira and had focused primarily on promising developmental works. In Basavakalyan, Vijayendra’s strategy is to promise jobs and revenue by turning the constituency into a tourist destination.  The BJP is likely to field one of two candidates in Basavakalyan constituency -- its former candidate Mallikarjun Khuba or Sharanu Salagar, a party worker. Sources said that Khuba does not have the support of the constituents. However, Sharanu Salagar has built up support at the grassroots-level by carrying out charitable activities over the last few years. Sources said that he has been distributing food to the poor and also actively took part in helping the migrant workers, who returned to Bidar during the pandemic. “He supplied food, masks, hand sanitisers and ration kits to the people in Basavakalyan,” the source said.  BJP sources said that the party is promising to construct a mega shrine for Basavanna in Basavakalyan, which is the seat of learning or "karmabhoomi" of the founder of the Lingayat sect and 12th century seer. In addition, the party is promising to begin conservation efforts for the caves, which were used by Lingayat seers like Akkamahadevi, Allamaprabhu and Ambigara Chowdaiah in the region and turn them into tourist destinations. Basavakalyan also houses a 108-ft statue of Basvanna. The BJP is promising to redevelop the shrine to attract tourists.  Sources in the BJP said that through this plan, the party is promising employment to locals by driving tourism. “We are promising development of roads in areas where the new shrines will come up. Religious tourism gathers a lot of people and this can be an opportunity for homestays, lodging facilities and also restaurants to come up in the area, which will provide employment,” a BJP leader said.   

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BJP appoints former Karnataka Minister CT Ravi in charge of party in Tamil Nadu

Politics

CT Ravi resigned from his post as Minister for Tourism and Kannada and Culture on October 3.

TNM Staff

BJP National General Secretary and former Karnataka minister CT Ravi has been appointed as the state in-charge for party affairs in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa. CT Ravi, who served as the Minister for Tourism, Kannada and Culture in the Yediyurappa cabinet, stepped down from his post on October 3 this year, after being given a higher rank in managing party affairs at the national level. He is also a four-time legislator from the Chikmagalur constituency in Karnataka, and is known for his hard-line Hindutva political stance.  Besides CT Ravi, the party made several other changes in management. The former BJP national secretary in-charge of Karnataka, P Muralidhar Rao, will now be in charge of party activities in Madhya Pradesh. Arun Singh, who was previously in charge of Odisha, will replace Rao as the in-charge of Karnataka.    Sources in the BJP’s high command revealed that the BJP wanted someone with experience in electoral politics in Tamil Nadu, as the party has a weak presence in the state. CT Ravi, known for his capabilities in strategic management of elections  in Karnataka, has been appointed as the person in-charge of Tamil Nadu to help expand the party’s presence in the state as the Assembly elections are slated to take place in 2021. According to the source, CT Ravi has been appointed in Tamil Nadu to build up a “Hindu” vote bank for the party in the state.  CT Ravi has also been put in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance is in power. Sources said that he would oversee campaigns of the BJP, which is meant to identify the flaws in the coalition’s governance and gather support for the party, primarily in Mumbai city.  On #Diwali eve we get the good news of Shri.@CTRavi_BJP being appointed as Prabhari(In-charge) of @BJP4TamilNadu Unit. I am sure history will be made in Tamil Nadu politics with your appointment. Hearty Welcome to our state. I wish you and your family a very Happy Diwali Ravi Ji. pic.twitter.com/VCW4HwPgG0 — SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) November 14, 2020 CT Ravi garnered attention recently after he floated the idea of criminalising “love jihad” in Karnataka, which he termed is religious conversion for the sake of marriage. In the beginning of November, when UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that religious conversions for the sake of marriage should be criminalised, CT Ravi, too, echoed the need for this law. A few days later, the matter was also discussed in the BJP’s executive committee meeting in Mangaluru and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had announced that his government would bring in such a legislation “soon”. In 2019, when the Supreme Court was hearing the case on the politically charged Babri Masjid demolition, CT Ravi stated that there was no need for “evidence” to conclude that the disputed land was the “Ram Janmabhoomi”. Also in 2019, the former Minister told TNM that the Karnataka government would hear a petition to ban the sale and consumption of beef in the state. However, the government did not go through with this plan.   

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