EC issues show cause notice to Sakshi Maharaj

Bengaluru, Jan 13: A criminal case was registered against two persons for allegedly defaming Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan by posting defamatory comments against him on Facebook.

Police registered a case based on a complaint filed by the MLA's staffer, Mohammed Ayub Pasha, on Friday. The suspects were identified as Sharath ITI and Sri Rushikumar Swamiji, based on the profile names in the Facebook posts.

Case under IT Act

Pasha said he found the defamatory posts against Zameer and the community when he was checking his Facebook account. Chamarajpet police registered a case under the provisions of IPC and IT Act and are tracing the suspects.

Bengaluru, Jan 28: The state government is set to allow investors who bought farmland for industrial and other purposes to sell it off if they fail to use it within seven years. The new buyers, however, must utilise the land parcel for the same purpose for which it was allotted.

An amendment bill in this regard will be tabled during the joint session of the assembly, which begins on February 17.

Currently, investors remain tied to unused parcels. Law and parliamentary affairs minister JC Madhuswamy said the amendment to Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, which deals with the purchase of farmland for non-agricultural purposes, would remove hurdles for disposal of such plots. “To prevent misuse of land, the bill makes it mandatory for the new buyer to utilise it for the purpose for which the land was purchased by the first investor,” he said.

The government will also table a bill which seeks to regulate the affairs of religious and educational trusts. It will empower the government to intervene in the affairs of the trusts when irregularities come to light.

“Currently, the government has no role to play when allegations of irregularities and mismanagement crop up against trustees. The bill seeks to address this,” Madhuswamy said. He clarified the government didn’t want to interfere in trusts’ affairs. But some issues, he added, were of concern: trustees illegally selling off the trust property.

Bengaluru, Jun 27: Marijuana or ganja as it is known locally, has emerged as the most peddled and seized drug in Karnataka in the first six months of 2020, a police officer has said, commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

"As many as 510 ganja cases have been registered, leading to the seizure of 312 kg of ganja in 2020," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told media perrsons on Friday.

Cases and seizures of other drugs paled in comparison to Marijuana. Only one case each has been registered on Brown Sugar, Opium and other drug forms.

Hashish was the only other seized narcotic which weighed more than a kg at 17 kg, rest all were under a kg.

Other banned substances included charas, cocaine and MDMA.

Police also seized 91 papers of LSD and 550 tablets belonging to the Yaba, Restyl, Anxit and Nitrosun category of drugs.

Similarly, 781 Indians and 14 foreigners have been arrested in the drugs cases.

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Director General of Police Praveen Sood and Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao were among the officials who commemorated the event which recognised police staff who cracked drug cases.

"Bommai reaffirmed the pledge to fight against drugs and continue the policy of zero tolerance (of drug abuse)," Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil said.

Police showcased the seized haul of drugs to Bommai in the past one year, and the minister later rewarded the policemen involved in cracking the drugs cases in Karnataka.

Bommai and the police officials took a pledge to fight drugs on the occasion.

"The Karnataka police has been taking strict action against the drug peddlers while at the same time creating awareness among youth," added JCP Sandeep Patil.

Police also roped in celebrities such as Milana Nagaraj, Darling Krishna and former cricketer Anil Kumble to send across a social message to give up drugs.