CBI raids on ex-cop: 'No reason to panic,' says Kumaraswamy

Agencies
September 26, 2019

Bengaluru, Sept 26: As the CBI raided the office and residence of former Bengaluru police commissioner Alok Kumar on Thursday in connection with a phone tapping case, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said he is not worried as he has no connection with the matter.

"Let them raid whoever they want to. Why are you asking me? How am I connected to it?" Kumaraswamy told reporters in reaction to the raids on Kumar.

When it was pointed out that the searches pertained to phone tapping during his tenure as chief minister, Kumaraswamy said, "Everybody does it during their tenure.

If they investigate how the phone tapping happened in the past, then why should I be worried about it?"

Kumaraswamy said he has no reason to get worried because he has no connection with the matter.

To a question that the CBI may question him, the JDS leader said "Let them come. As per the law of the land, anyone can be questioned and investigated. Why should I panic?"

CBI sleuths on Thursday morning swooped down on the residence and office of Alok Kumar.

Police said about 20 CBI officials reached Kumar's residence at Adugodi and questioned him. They reportedly looked for some pen drive and computers.

While confirming the raids, a CBI officer declined to divulge details.

The Karnataka government handed over the phone tapping case to the CBI after a few MLAs alleged that their phone calls were intercepted.

A few police officers too complained that their phones were tapped including the present Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao.

As the BJP government came to power, it removed Alok Kumar as the commissioner of police (COP) and appointed Rao in his place.

Days later, an audio clip went viral containing a purported conversation between Rao and a middleman where the former was allegedly lobbying for the post of Bengaluru police commissioner.

Taking a serious note of it, Rao complained to the director general of police Neelamani M Raju who ordered an inquiry led by joint commissioner of police (crime) Sandeep Patil in mid-August.

Chief minister BS Yediyurappa ordered an inquiry by CBI which took up the case on August 31.

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News Network
April 29,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 29: One person was arrested on charges of murdering a middle-aged couple on Wednesday in Yellinje near Kinnigoli.

The area falls under the jurisdiction of Mulky police.

Police said that the deceased were identified as Vincent D’Souza (50) and his wife Helina D’ Souza (45).

The arrested was identified as Alphonso (55). He will be sent to judicial custody, said police.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Jan 14: A police complaint was lodged on Tuesday against BJP West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh for his threat to "beat up" and "shoot' " anti-CAA protesters, whom he called "infiltrators".

The complaint was registered in Ranaghat police station of Nadia district by a Trinamool Congress worker Krishnendu Banerjee, who alleged that Ghosh was inciting communal passion.

Addressing a party rally on Sunday in Ranathat, about 80 km from Kolkata, Ghosh went ballistic, saying the governments in BJP-ruled Assam, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have shot dead "like dogs" those protesting against the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Alleging there were one crore infiltrators in the state, Ghosh had accused them of destroying public property worth Rs 500-600 crore during the violent protests against the CAA last month

"Friends, please know these people who are opposing Hindus and Bengalis. In whose interest are they doing this? There are one crore infiltrators. They are having their meals and staying here on our money".

He accused the state's Mamata Banerjee government of remaining silent a spectator to the violence.

"This (violence) happened because there was neither any baton charge, nor firing, nor was any FIR filed. Why? Didi's police did not arrest anybody... because they vote for her".

He then referred to the three states ruled by the BJP.

"In Assam, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, our governments have shot dead these devils like dogs. They were taken elsewhere and then again cases were filed against them. They will come here, eat, stay, and then destroy property. Do they think this is their zamindari?"

He had said once a BJP government was installed in Bengal, "We will hit them with sticks, shoot them and also send them to jail. Our governments have done exactly that. Mamata Banerjee doesn't have the guts to do anything".

However, his incendiary comments did not meet the approval of sections in the party.

Union Minister Babul Supriyo came out with a tweet slamming Ghosh and distancing the BJP from the comments.

"Very irresponsible of Dilip Da to have said what he said. It is a figment of his imagination... BJP governments in UP and Assam have never resorted to shooting people for whatever reason," he tweeted.

Supriyo's tweet was retweeted by nominated Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta, considered close to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

But Ghosh did not budge and aggressively asked whether the party was being run by Shah or Supriyo.

"People comment according to their understanding. What I feel is that our governments have done it, and so I said all that. If we get a chance we will also do such things," he said, sticking to his earlier comments.

Supriyo also hit back. "Just as he has remarked 'whatever Babul Supriyo has understood he has said', similarly I am saying this is Dilip da's personal opinion, and it has no connection with the party".

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News Network
February 19,2020

Hassan, Feb 19: A 19-year-old boy, in a bid to impress his girlfriend, stole a sports bike from an OLX seller but cops managed to reach him through her on Tuesday.

The accused, Pramod, who works at a bakery, had been involved in a bike-lifting case two years ago too.

On February 9, Pramod saw an advertisement on online marketing platform OLX from Puneeth, a farmer from Shravanabelagola town, who wanted to sell his sports bike for Rs 1.4 lakh. Pramod called him up and the two agreed to meet around 6pm that evening at Shravanabelagola town bus stand.

Once there, Pramod, a college dropout, assured Puneeth that he would buy the bike but wanted to take it for a test drive. The seller agreed. A few minutes passed and when there was no sign of the bike or Pramod, Puneeth tried calling him. The phone was switched off and could not be contacted since. Puneeth immediately filed a cheating case with the Shravanabelagola police.

SP R Srinivas Gowda and ASP BN Nandini put together a team and began tracing Pramod's call detail records. Maximum calls were made to a single number and it turned out to be his girlfriend's.

Cops called the girlfriend and on Tuesday, asked her to contact him and ascertain his location. They traced him near Hassan city's railway station and nabbed him along with the bike. On interrogation, Pramod confessed that he wanted to impress his girlfriend and take her on long drives on the sports bike.

Police said Pramod, who belongs to Bandithimmanahalli village of Alur taluk, dropped out of college two years ago and has been working at a bakery in Sahyadri Circle.

While working, he has been involved in several incidents of bike-lifting. Cops said he appeared to have strained relations with his family and had taken to crime to make a quick buck.

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