Bengaluru police arrest 10 for running fake ID cards racket

Crime

More than 20,000 fake voter ID, PAN and other govt ID cards were seized by the police.

TNM Staff

The Central Crime Branch of police in Bengaluru arrested 10 persons on Monday for creating large-scale fake identity documents like PAN (permanent account number) cards, Aadhaar, vehicle registration certificates and driving license ID cards. According to police, the accused includes former employees of Rosmerta Technologies, a firm contracted to print these ID cards. Police said that the accused stole the data and this data was being stolen for the last two years.  Other than arresting the accused, the CCB sleuths also seized a large quantity of the fake identity documents and equipment like printers used to create these fake ID cards. This high profile development was announced by Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner Crime (Bengaluru) and City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant.   The seized items include 1,000 Aadhaar cards, 9000 PAN cards, 12,250 fake RC cards and 6,240 voter IDs which do not have government seals. Three laptops and Rs 60,000 in cash was also seized from the accused. The fake document racket came to light with the arrest of Kamalesh Kumar Bavalia, a 33-year-old resident of Gullala village off Kanakapura Road. The CCB raided his residence based on a tip off and found his whole set up with which he carried out his fake racket business.  The other arrested include 37-year-old Puttenahalli resident Lokesh alias Salabanna,,  50-year-old Shantinagar resident Sudarshan alias Satyanarayana, 56-year-old Shantinagar resident Nirmal Kumar, 25-year-old Kengeri resident Darshan, 31-year-old Hassan resident Sridhar, 28-year-old Janabharati resident Chandrappa, 27-year-old Vijaynagar resident Abhilash, 30-year-old Basaveshwara Nagar resident Tejas,  35-year-old Vijay Nagar resident Sridhar alias Aditya Bharati.  Police said that based on the investigation, it came to light that the two accused who are residents of Shantinagar and run ‘Brigade Prints’ were also involved in this racket. Police also found some printing equipment at the residence of Lokesh.

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In pics: First train from Bengaluru city reaches airport amid fanfare

Transport

Bangalore Central MP PC Mohan was among the passengers who boarded the train along with other railway officials.

TNM Staff

Amidst much fanfare and optimism, the first train run by the Bangalore Division of South Western Railways reached the Kempegowda International Airport halt station on Monday morning from the city. As scheduled, the train left Bangalore City Railway Station (Majestic) at 4.45 am and reached the halt station at 5.50 am. Bangalore Central Member of Parliament (MP) PC Mohan was among the high-profile passengers who boarded the train. Top railway officials were also on board the train. From the halt station, a shuttle bus run by the airport authority took the passengers to the airport.  As reported earlier, this rail connectivity is the first non-road, faster alternative to reach the airport. It is also the cheapest with commuters having to pay only Rs 10 for a ticket to the airport from Majestic. Two other trains also reached the halt station after they left the Yelahanka and Yeshwantpur stations at 7 am and 8.30 am respectively.  Later on Monday, a train is scheduled to leave the Bangalore Cantonment Station at 5.55 pm and Majestic at 9 pm again. Similarly, the trains from the airport will leave at 6.43 pm and 10.37 pm for Majestic, and 6.22 am, 7.45 am and 8.21 am from Yelahanka, Bangalore Cantonment and Yeshwantpur stations respectively. For the next few months, five of these trains will leave from the city to the airport. Other than flyers who want to get to the airport in a cheaper and faster mode of transport, the train connection will primarily benefit hundreds of airport staff.  While the demand by citizen activists for such a train has been there for a long time, there was no positive step towards it for close to a decade. This halt station has been financed by the Bangalore International Airport Limited, the company which manages the airport. By the end of 2023, another train line to the airport as part of the recently approved dedicated suburban rail project is also expected to be ready. That line is expected to run faster trains, more frequently. A proposed metro rail line project connecting the city and the airport is yet to be approved by the Union government.

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'Yediyurappa will be Karnataka CM till his term ends’: BJP dismisses speculation

Politics

Karnataka party in-charge Arun Singh also warned other BJP leaders in the state, like senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, to "speak within the limits."

TNM Staff

Flickr/Arun SinghPho

BJP General Secretary and Karnataka party in-charge Arun Singh on Sunday said that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will continue to hold the post until the end of his term, putting an end to the speculations of a leadership change. He warned other leaders against asking for a change and said that BJP’s central leadership will take the decision. He also ruled out the possibility of the party forming an alliance with the JD(S). "I have said a number of times, he (Yediyurappa) is our CM, he will remain CM. Under his leadership (we are going) he is taking care of all sections of the society. He is one of the prominent leaders of the party here," Singh said in response to a question about leadership change. Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, he said, "why do you raise such hypothetical imaginary questions? I can't reply." There has been intense speculation in some quarters that the BJP high command is mulling leadership change in Karnataka in the days to come considering Yediyurappa's age. Though the state BJP had outright rejected such speculations, it refused to die down, with some in the party like senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal giving credence to it with their statements.  Reacting to a query regarding Yatnal's statements, Singh said, "Any karyakarta (worker) or any leader, small or big, has to speak within the limits. If somebody has the problem one can come and discuss one-to-one because there is internal democracy in our party, but speaking publicly is not right." Yatnal, who is Vijayapura City MLA had in October claimed that Yediyurappa will not remain Chief Minister for long and the high command has decided that his successor will be from the north Karnataka region. Maintaining that the cabinet expansion was Chief Minister's prerogative, Singh said it will happen soon. "It will happen soon; it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. I can only say- it will happen soon," he said in response to a question. The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for the Chief Minister, considering that there are too many aspirants, from the party old guard to Congress- JD(S) rebels who are now BJP legislators. The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are still vacant. Meanwhile, former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, on Sunday, warned the BJP and accused them of systematically fanning rumours of JD(S) joining NDA. In a series of tweets, the JD(S) legislature party chief accused the BJP of attempting to erode the party’s base by planting such rumours. He said the party "does not need BJP's friendship”.   “This is the reason why BJP was trying to play the phoney drama of alliance. This is the reason why it is systematically spreading imaginary news about JD(S) joining NDA. This is absolutely false," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Claiming that he shares a better bonding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi than many state BJP leaders do and has respect for Chief Minister Yediyurappa's seniority, he said the intention of JD(S) was not to be an opposition party just for the sake of opposing. "If BJP indulges in a misinformation campaign, that bonding, respect and intent will get hampered. The BJP should beware about JD(S)," he added. Kumaraswamy's attack came after he recently spoke about JD(S) having an "issue-based understanding" with BJP, while dismissing talk about his party's possible merger with the party. "BJP should understand that this is immoral politics," he added.  

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Sadananda Gowda condition stable, under observation in Bengaluru hospital

Politics

The Union Minister had collapsed in Chitradurga due to low blood sugar levels and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

TNM Staff

File image/PTI

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, DV Sadananda Gowda, who was rushed to a hospital in Chitradurga on Sunday afternoon after he collapsed at a hotel, said that he was doing well and that his condition was stable. Taking to Twitter, the minister said, “I am doing well. It was just low blood sugar levels that caused me to collapse. All parameters, including Echo, ECG, are normal. Thank you to all who wished (me) well.” Meanwhile, a statement from Aster CMI Hospital said, “DV Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India was brought to Aster CMI hospital at 4.45 pm on Sunday. His condition is stable and he will be kept under observation for the next 24 hours.” Gowda was returning from Shivamogga to Bengaluru after attending the BJP state executive committee meeting. The 67-year-old minister had stopped for refreshments owing to his dropping blood sugar levels. According to sources, he was doing well at the Shivamogga party convention, but he developed hypoglycaemia and was immediately rushed to Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital where he received preliminary treatment. It was later decided to shift him to Bengaluru and a zero traffic corridor was arranged by the state police for the ambulance carrying Gowda. He is admitted in Aster CMI hospital in Bengaluru where his blood sugar levels are being monitored by a team of endocrinologists. The Union Minister had also tested positive for the coronavirus in the third week of November. He returned to work after his recovery. The Union Minister had participated in the BJP state executive committee meeting at Shivamogga, which was attended by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, state Minister K S Eshwarappa, state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and other senior party leaders.   

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Feds may cut Moderna vaccine doses in half so more people get shots, Warp Speed adviser says

Federal officials have said the U.S. will need to vaccinate roughly 80 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus.

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Surgeon general defends official Covid-19 numbers

Jerome Adams was responding to a presidential tweet saying the numbers are phony.

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Union Minister Sadananda Gowda collapses, admitted to Bengaluru hospital

Health

: The Union Minister is currently stable, reports say.

TNM Staff

File image

Union Minister Sadananda Gowda on Sunday was admitted to a Bengaluru private hospital after he collapsed in central Karnataka earlier in the day. Gowda, the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, had collapsed during lunch in Chitradurga district, around 200 km away from Bengaluru. He reportedly collapsed as soon as he got off his vehicle at a hotel where he was scheduled to have lunch.  Gowda was on his way back to Bengaluru from Shivamogga following a party event where he was accompanying Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and other top rung leaders of Karnataka BJP unit. The Minister was taken to Bengaluru through a zero-traffic corridor from Basaveshwara Hospital for detailed follow-up and check-up. Doctors at the Basaveshwara Hospital in Chitradurga had said that he was stable and had collapsed due to low blood sugar and fatigue. According to reports, his condition is stable. The union minister had recently recovered from COVID-19. He had tested positive for the virus in November 2019.  In a tweet made earlier on the day, Gowda congratulated the Chief Minister and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel over the recent ordinance of the anti-cow slaughter law tabled in the state Assembly. In the photo shared by DVS, he is seen sharing the stage with Yediyurappa, Kateel, Rural Development Minister KS Eshwarappa  BY Vijayendra, state vice president among others. Gowda, a former Chief Minister had beaten his closest rival, Byre Gowda by a comfortable margin of 1,46,100 votes to win the Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat for the second time. In 2014, he won from the same seat for the first time. His previous two Lok Sabha poll victories had come from the erstwhile Mangalore and Udupi-Chikmagalur seats in coastal Karnataka. In his previous term, he held the portfolios of  Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Law & Justice and Railways.

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