Cash Seizure in Police Vehicle in Hassan, Karnataka BJP Seeks ECI for Independent Probe

Agencies
May 9, 2019

New Delhi, May 9: A Karnataka BJP delegation Thursday approached the Election Commission requesting an independent probe into the alleged role of police officers in carrying Rs 1.2 lakh in a government vehicle in the Hassan constituency a day before polling in the state.

The delegation, comprising BJP national general secretary Muralidhar Rao, party's state general secretary Aravind Limbavali and MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, informed the ECI that it does not have "faith and trust" in the investigation being carried out by the state police department.

"It is a serious complaint. The money was seized on April 17 from a police vehicle in Holenarsipura, Hassan constituency a day before the first phase of election. This is a serious incident," Rao told reporters after meeting the ECI.

The delegation demanded an independent inquiry in the matter instead of an investigation by the state police department.

"We have given a memorandum and the EC has agreed with our arguments and assured of coming out with a positive decision at the earliest," Rao said.

He also hoped the ECI would take steps to initiate an effective investigation by an independent agency, preferably by a team of such officers with unimpeachable integrity and reputation from outside Karnataka.

In the memorandum, the state BJP informed that Rs 1.2 lakh in cash was seized from a vehicle owned by the Bengaluru Police a day before the election on April 18 in Holenarsipura in Hassan constituency, from where JDS chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson was contesting.

"There are strong reservations about the impartiality and fairness in the investigation by the Karnataka state police. No purpose would be served in continuing with the investigation by the state police as any such investigation would be a mere eye-wash exercise," the party said.

The BJP also requested the ECI to collate and assess all such information regarding election-related malpractices of unlawful usage of state machinery and unaccounted money in the state and seek a thorough, independent and effective investigation into the matter.

"The unlawful use of state machinery to transport sizeable amount of unaccounted money during elections forms only the tip of the iceberg of what could possibly be the biggest and almost detrimental instance of constitutional subterfuge," it added.

The state BJP said it had to approach the ECI as the Karnataka CEO did not take any action despite the complaint.

The saffron party's state unit has so far filed as many as 272 complaints before the Karnataka Chief Election Officer (CEO) It is for the first time, the party has brought this matter to the ECI.

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News Network
July 25,2020

Chennai, Jul 25: Two weeks after a 62-year-old widow accused him of harassment, including urinating outside her house, the Chennai Police on Saturday registered an FIR against ABVP national president Dr Subbiah Shanmugam.

Dr Shanmugam, Professor and HOD, Department of Surgical Oncology, Kilpauk Medical College and Government Royapettah Hospital, has been booked under sections 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) and 427 (mischief causing damage) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Prevention Act.

The FIR was lodged exactly two weeks after the woman’s relative Balaji Vijayaraghavan filed a complaint with the Adambakkam police accusing Dr Shanmugam of harassing his aunt, who is living alone in her apartment following her husband’s death last year, following an argument over a parking slot. 

The action came after Vijayaraghavan alleged that the police were not filing an FIR due to the ABVP functionary’s “political connections.”

Dr Shanmugam and the woman were living in the same apartment complex in Nanganallur and an argument broke between them over a parking slot.

“He wanted to use our parking lot. We agreed but demanded a nominal charge for using it. He was outraged by our demand and even broke our signboard at the parking lot,” Vijayaraghavan wrote in his complaint.

He also alleged that Dr Shanmugam began harassing her by throwing “pieces of chicken” outside her apartment despite knowing she is a vegetarian.

CCTV footage corroborates with the allegations of urinating outside the residence of the widow. However, the ABVP called the incident as a “malicious and derogatory propaganda” by the Congress’ student wing of NSUI.

"The video shared by NSUI with an allegation of harassment is tampered with and is being used with malafide intentions. The two families have discussed this within their housing society and have already concluded that the harassment allegations were caused due to misunderstandings and are untrue,” ABVP National General secretary Nidhi Tripathi said.

Vijayaraghavan also alleged in his two-page written complaint that the ABVP national president had urinated outside the woman’s apartment gate and had been throwing garbage and used masks at her gate.

In his complaint, Vijayaraghavan also said the family was “concerned about her safety” while asking police to take action against Dr Shanmugam, who he says, “has a bad track record in maintaining rapport with neighbours.”

Also Read: ABVP national president accused of harassing woman, urinating at her doorstep

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coastaldigest.com news network
January 15,2020

Bantwal, Jan 15: Two people died in a head-on collision between two two-wheelers at Mani-Mysuru Highway in Bantwal last night, police said on Wednesday.

Police said that Parikshit (19) and Padmanabha Gowda (28) were heading towards Mane while Mohammed Ajmal (19) on his activa was on his way towards Kodaje when they collided head-on.

All the victims were immediately rushed to hospital for treatment where two of them breathed its last after not responding to the treatment.

Parikshit and Ajmal lost their lives while Gowda suffered critical injuries, the police said.

In another road accident reported from Kodangayi near Radukatte in Vittla, seven people including women and children sustained injuries when a Maruti Omni and another vehicle collided here on Tuesday evening.

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News Network
March 27,2020

Mysuru, Mar 27: A 35-year old man from Mysuru, Karnataka was tested positive for coronavirus infection on Thursday, taking the state-wide count to 52 altogether.

This new case could be an indication that Covid-19 has entered into the third stage of community transmission in Karnataka, as the infected person neither has any travel history nor have been in contact with Covid-affected persons.

The patient works in the quality assurance section of a pharmaceutical company in Nanjangud in Mysuru district, and has been in continuous contact with medical care professionals.

Mysuru DC Mr Abhiram G Shankar informs that detailed investigation is under process.

He is currently undergoing treatment at an isolation ward in a designated hospital in Mysuru. So far his seven primary contacts have been traced and they are under home quarantine, Mr Abhiram Shankar said.

A 35 year old Mysurean, and another 46 year old Keralite, both who had come from Dubai, were the first and second cases tested positive for Covid-19 in Mysuru. They are also currently kept under isolation.

Mysuru district administration has identified 898 international passengers in Mysuru district including 152 in the taluks. Among them, while 149 persons have completed home quarantine period by now, the rest are still in isolation.

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