Bengaluru News Highlights: Karnataka cabinet to repeal controversial anti-conversion bill tabled by previous BJP govt

The finance department denied to provide additional grant for fuel expenses and payment of increased salaries of employess of transport corporations incl. KSRTC and BMTC. (Read)

With the aim to establish effective coordination among these agencies to proactively prevent any untoward incidents during the monsoon season, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath and Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department, held a crucial meeting with key officials from the city police, BBMP, BESCOM, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and BMRCL. (Know more)

HelpAge India unveiled its report, "Women & Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?", on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This survey covered 20 states, including Karnataka, and two union territories, along with five Metro cities including Bengaluru and had a national sample size of 7,911 participants. (Read survey highlights)

A 20-year-old dental student in Bengaluru was taken into custody on Wednesday after reportedly engaging in a physical altercation with a police sub-inspector. The incident unfolded after a verbal dispute between the student and a BMTC bus conductor over a student pass matter. (Read here)

Karnataka cabinet has voted to repeal the anti-conversion law tabled by the previous BJP government, said Minister H K Patil post the cabinet meeting today.

VIDEO | "The Bill brought by the BJP in 2022, will be repealed, and the Bill which we are bringing will be in accordance with the Constitution," says Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil on anti-conversion law. pic.twitter.com/W2ZRn0GQZN

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 15, 2023

On the third anniversary of the Galwan clash, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar remembered the soldiers of the Indian army who lost their lives "defending our nation's integrity". He tweeted saying, " Their courage, resilience, and unconditional commitment to protect our borders will forever inspire us."

On the third anniversary of the #GalwanClash, we remember and honour our brave soldiers of the Indian army who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation's integrity.

Their courage, resilience, and unconditional commitment to protect our borders will forever inspire us.…

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) June 15, 2023

Sasikala Natarajan, the close aide of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, was heard Monday by a single-judge bench of Justice Nagaprasanna who subsequently listed the matter for hearing on June 26. 

Shas moved the Karnataka High Court to quash the proceedings against her in the case pertaining to the alleged preferential treatment she received during her sentence at a Bengaluru prison in 2017. (Read further)

Alleging “caste discrimination and atrocity at workplace” in his June 3 police complaint, a 35-year-old employee of a private firm in Bengaluru allegedly died by suicide in his flat just hours after filing the complaint and releasing a video on YouTube. (Read)

Mysuru-Howarh Superfast Express and Howarh-Mysuru Superfast Express have been cancelled, as per a tweet update shared by South Western Railways.

Kindly note the cancellation of trains due to operational reasons.#SWRupdates pic.twitter.com/e83RbRHJBE

— South Western Railway (@SWRRLY) June 14, 2023

A BJP delegation, led by former minister R Ashok, approached Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Wednesday, raising concerns about an alleged meeting between AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and BBMP officials. The BJP delegation accused the Congress government of attempting to transform the BBMP into a political tool. (Read)

Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil revealed on Tuesday that the Karnataka state government plans to establish vision groups in seven key sectors to foster industrial growth. The envisioned vision groups will encompass aerospace and defense, machine tools, electronic system design and manufacturing, core manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, non-IT startups, and the automotive/electric vehicle sector. This initiative aims to bolster development and investment opportunities in these specific industries. (Read further)

According to Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who presided over an internal committee meeting, the Congress party has proposed conducting elections for the 243 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by November. (Know more)

Incredible Chef Challenge, a three-day annual event honoring exceptional chefs and academia, commenced on Tuesday at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. In line with the theme of the International Year of Millets 2023, this year's competition is slated to spotlight forgotten food recipes incorporating millets. (Read further)

Three realtors from Andhra Pradesh have been booked by the forest department in Karnataka for allegedly cutting down more than 80 trees on a private land, prone to landslides, in Madikeri, without obtaining permission from the authorities. (Read more)

Traffic redirected to Panatture Railway Bridge, as a result of waterlogging on Croma Balgere Road. Slow moving traffic in the Kasturinagar area towards Hebbala due to a vehicle off-road incident.

Traffic Advisory:due to water logging in croma balgere road,all the traffic is diverted to panatture railway bridge,due to high volume of vehicles traffic congestion is happening in railway bridge,hence requesting to commuters to plz avoid this route,nd use varthuru main road 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Ovj5W8M4F5

— HAL AIRPORT TRAFFIC BTP (@halairporttrfps) June 14, 2023

'Traffic Advisory'
Slow moving traffic due to a Vehicle offroad in Kasturinagar towards Hebbala. It will be moved shortly. Kindly co-operate. pic.twitter.com/4CGbvODSiI

— ???????? ????? ?????? BengaluruTrafficPolice (@blrcitytraffic) June 14, 2023

In a bid to bolster helpline and assistance services, Bengaluru police has integrated 'Namma 112' with WhatsApp complaint number, 9480801000, has now been integrated with Namma 112, tweeted Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda.

As promised to strengthen Namma 112
Step#1 city police WhatsApp complaint no 9480801000 has been integrated with Namma 112. People can now contact Namma 112 through our WhatsApp no also by messaging for any call for assistance. https://t.co/8YvbpEwz52

— B Dayananda IPS CP Bengalur ?????? ?????? ???????? (@CPBlr) June 14, 2023

The NIA apprehended an alleged master weapons trainer associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) for his involvemengt in the Nizamabad terror conspiracy case, on Tuesday. The suspect was arrested in Billari, where he had been residing under a false identity. (Know more)

On the eve of the United Nations' designated "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" on June 15, HelpAge India unveiled its national report for 2023 titled "Women & Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?" The report was released at the office of The Secretary to Government, Department of Women & Child Development & Department of Empowerment of Differently Abled & Senior Citizens in Bengaluru. The report sheds light on the experiences of elderly women and explores their visibility and empowerment in society.

The study revealed findings such as : 

• 33 percent of senior women in Bengaluru are engaged in full-time or part-time employment.
• Approximately 66 percent of older women in the city do not work.
• 85 percent of senior women who work reported having an employment-friendly atmosphere.
• 65 percent of elder women feel financially secure due to support from their family and government pensions.
• Regarding elderly abuse, 49 percent of respondents agree that it exists in society.
• Only 16 percent of elder women in Bengaluru admit to having experienced some form of abuse from their sons, daughters-in-law, or other relatives.

The BJP has lodged a defamation complaint with the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). (Know more)

Nearly a week and a half has passed since a distressing incident in Bengaluru where a 23-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her estranged lover. Despite ongoing efforts, law enforcement authorities have been unable to locate the 27-year-old accused, who remains at large. Meanwhile, the woman's father said that the family was unaware of their relationship. (Read)

BESCOM has disputed counterfeit bill circulating on social media, causing billing misconceptions. The fraudulent document alleges a 50% surge in June 2023 charges compared to May, but BESCOM confirmed it as spurious.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured that discussion will be held regarding the implementation of the old pension scheme in the cabinet and a decision will be taken to announce it in the budget.

He was speaking to the delegation of office bearers of the NPS employees' union that met him and appealed to him regarding the cancellation of the New Pension Scheme.

The CM said that the employees should work efficiently to implement the guarantee schemes of the government, and said that they should sincerely work to reach the benefits of the government programs to the people. (ANI)

The Bengaluru cybercrime police Tuesday arrested four people for alleged tax evasion by misusing the PAN card and Goods and Services Tax (GST) number of a businessman.

The accused, identified as G Delhi Babu, a native of Tamil Nadu; R Janaki Ram Reddy, Hire Lal, and Tej Raj Giriya, are all residents of Bengaluru.

The case originated from a complaint lodged by Hameed Rizwan in 2018. Rizwan, who had been operating a firm named ARS Enterprises since 2011, possessed a Trader Identification Number (TIN) but ceased business activities in 2013. With the introduction of the GST system in 2017, Rizwan transitioned from TIN to GST. However, in 2017-18, he faced legal action from the commercial tax authorities for non-payment of GST. Rizwan clarified that his company had not engaged in any transactions since 2013 and provided supporting documents. 

The Karnataka government is thinking of bringing the responsibility of operation and maintenance of new airports under the ambit of the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC), Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Tuesday.

The KSIIDC is a body functioning under the department of large and medium industries.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, Patil said that talks will be held with the Centre about the operation and maintenance of new airports. (Read more)

A private defamation complaint against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on his comment about a Lingayat chief minister during the recent Assembly election has been dismissed by an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

The Special Court exclusively dealt with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs on Tuesday dismissed the complaint filed for the alleged offences under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The private complaint lodged by Shankar Shet and Mallaiah Hiremath alleged that Siddaramaiah had defamed the Lingayat community with his answer to a question by a journalist during the Assembly election. The Congress leader was asked if his party would make Lingayat the Chief Minister if it came to power. Siddaramaiah allegedly replied that then-incumbent CM Basavaraj Bommai was a Lingayat who had indulged in corruption and spoilt the state. (Read more)

Even as ex-CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey has raised allegations of Central government pressure and threats against the micro-blogging platform, the company has been locked in a legal battle with the government in the Karnataka High Court.

Previously, Twitter official Manish Maheshwari approached the court in 2017 against a summons by the Uttar Pradesh Police to appear in an investigation in person regarding an incident in which a video of an elderly man being assaulted was circulated on Twitter. His counsel argued that the notice was issued to him on the erroneous belief that he was a managing director, while in reality he only held that designation as a senior employee, and was not actually a managing director as defined in the Companies Act. In this case, an interim relief was granted to Maheshwari by the HC bench consisting of Justice G Narender who instructed the police to collect the information from him through virtual means. (Read more)

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today condemned the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate.

"This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it," Kharge said in a statement. "None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves," he added.

Congress President Shri @kharge condemns the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Shri V. Senthil Balaji by the ED.

This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi govt. against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be… pic.twitter.com/RLzKDae5cA

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 14, 2023

Shakti Yojane or the free bus scheme launched by the Karnataka government witnessed a massive spike in the number of women passengers taking the buses on Monday, recording an increase to 41 lakh. The data was released by the transport department between the timeline from 12 am to 12 pm.

The project was launched on Sunday, with over 5.7 lakh women passengers availing the free travel scheme from 1 pm to 12 am. All four transport corporations incurred a cost of Rs 1.4 crore. However, on Monday the number rose to over 41 lakh, costing the transport corporations a whopping Rs 8.8 crore in a day. The highest cost was incurred by KSRTC which was recorded at Rs 3.5 crore. (Read more)

Why should I not become CM, asks Home Minister Parameshwara, saying Dalits should assert themselves 

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday was quoted as saying by PTI several Dalit leaders, now and in the past, including him, were deprived of opportunities despite having all the ability to become the chief minister, and called on the community to stay united. He also spoke about him not being given credit for Congress's victory in the 2013 Assembly polls, despite the party coming to power under his presidency, and pointed out that it is not the case now.

Encroachments blamed for Monday's severe waterlogging in East Bengaluru 

While the IMD has predicted light to moderate rain in Bengaluru until June 16, a lake activist Jagadish Reddy,  expressed concerns about the condition of Varthur Lake. In the aftermath of downpour on Monday, Varthur, Bellandur, and Halanayakanahalli lakes overflowed. Reddy said, “Varthur is in shambles. The reason is the encroachment of stormwater drains. Drains that were supposed to be 60 feet wide have been reduced to 15 feet, disregarding the norms of the National Green Tribunal. These encroachments have blocked the drains, causing hardships for residents in Prakash Layout, Chinnappa Layout, and Meenakshi Layout. The devastation is man-made.” Read more

Deputy range forest officer accused of impropriety, no action even after four months

Four months after a deputy range forest officer was pulled up for allegedly issuing a transit passbook to a private individual, The Indian Express has learned that no action has been initiated against him even after he had submitted an explanation defending his action. In February, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Belagavi), Harsha Bhanu reprimanded Deputy Range Forest Officer Vinay Goudar following allegations that Goudar had provided a transit passbook to a private individual. Read more

Karnataka HC confirms death sentence of man convicted of killing wife, 3 kids in 2017

The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court recently upheld the death penalty of a man convicted of killing his wife, her sister, and three of his children. The incident took place in Karnataka’s Ballari in February 2017. The man allegedly started quarrelling with his wife, doubting her fidelity and the paternity of three of his four children. He then allegedly murdered her, her sister and his children using a chopper. Read more

Woman kills mother, walks into police station with body stuffed in suitcase

Sonali Sen, 39, a physiotherapist, resident of NSR Greens Apartment in Kodichikkanahalli, allegedly killed her mother on Monday. The woman walked into Micro Layout police station with a suitcase stuffed with her mother's body. The deceased woman Biva Paul, 71, used to live with Sen, her husband and mother-in-law. Read to know more about the story

Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan orders inquiry into Rs 4 lakh salary for helpline employee

B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Housing, Wakf and Minority ordered an inquiry into how the Department of Minority Welfare ended up paying a monthly salary of Rs 4 lakh to an employee running a helpline to provide information on government schemes for the last one year when the BJP ruled the state. Zameer asked the department officials what the need was for having a separate helpline when Rs 2.5 crore was being spent for the regular helplines. Read more

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has quietly hiked toll charges for a section of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway by 22 per cent. Implemented from June 1, FASTag users who travelled via the Sheshagirihalli toll plaza only began to notice the change after receiving messages which indicated they were being charged higher amounts than usual.

As per the revised rates, cars will have to pay Rs 165 for a single journey and Rs 250 if they are returning the same day. Earlier the rates were Rs 135 for a single journey and Rs 205 for return trips. After the opening of the second stretch, the toll fee for cars, jeeps and vans may rise to Rs 300, officials said. Read more. 

With the meteorological department predicting generally cloudy skies through the day and light rains this evening, we recommend you carry your umbrella if you plan on heading outside today. 

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