Freedom fighter, ‘Malnad Gandhi’ HG Govinde Gowda no more

Bengaluru, Mar 13: Senior IPS officer KSR Charan Reddy, who was the Additional Director General of Police in Criminal Investigation Department, Karnataka passed away in Bengaluru on Friday after prolonged illness. 

He was reportedly battling cancer for at least three years now and had suffered multiple recurs after treatment. 

"Shri Charan Reddy, IPS, ADGP, Karnataka State, passed away this morning, after a prolonged illness. He was one of our finest officers. Always stood tall and held his head high!! May his soul rest in peace," Retired IPS officer and former Director General of Police (Fire Services) MN Reddi tweeted. 

IPS officer Charan Reddy was heading the Special Investigation Team of the Lokayukta when he arrested Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh in 2015 for illegally transporting iron ore out of Ballari. The illegal mining scam had rocked the former BJP government in 2011.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa condoled his death and said that he was an honest officer in the state. "Charan Reddy was a dedicated and honest officer. I pray that his soul rests in peace. I pray that god gives his family the strength to go through such a turbulent time after his departure," BS Yediyurappa tweeted. 

A 1993-batch IPS officer, Charan Reddy KSR is originally from Chittoor and has served under various departments of the state's police force. He was serving as the Inspector General of Police in Belagavi division in 2013, when he was transferred to Bengaluru as the IGP (Training). In 2014, he was posted as the IGP of the SIT probing the illegal mining scam in which former Tourism Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy is also allegedly involved.

He was transferred out of the SIT in Lokayukta in 2016 and posted as Additional Commissioner of Police (law and order) in Bengaluru. He served as the ADGP of Crime in Mangaluru in 2018 and was later appointed as the Additional Director General of Police (training) the same year. In 2019, he was transferred and appointed as the ADGP of CID.

Bengaluru, Jun 30: The judicial, non-judicial and administrative functions of the Karnataka High Court has been suspended for Tuesday, for sanitisation of the entire court complex due to "unavoidable circumstances".

The High Court in a notice informed about the decision on Monday.

"It is hereby notified to the litigant public/learned advocates/party-in-person/officers and staff of the High Court of Karnataka, Principal Bench, Bengaluru that, the judicial/non-judicial/administrative functions of the High Court is hereby suspended for one day -- on June 30, 2020, for sanitisation of entire High Court complex, due to unavoidable circumstances," the notice read.

Bengaluru, Jan 24: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the much-delayed Cabinet expansion will take place in the next three days.

At the Kempegowda International Airport, after his arrival from Davos, he informed that he would discuss the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take a final decision on the distribution of important portfolios.

Deputy CM Ashwanath Narayna, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and others received the Chief Minister at the airport. The issue of Cabinet expansion was kept in abeyance, ever since the spectacular victory of 12 Assembly seats for BJP, for which the by-elections were held recently. The bypolls were necessitated, following the resignation of about 17 sitting Congress and JD (S) MLAs, which resulted in the collapse of the JDS-Congress coalition government in the state.

BJP had reportedly lured the Congress and JD (S) MLAs into their camp, after promising them to give party ticket to contest the elections, as well as ministerial berths. The Chief Minister had kept as many as 16 Cabinet berths, along with plum portfolios, vacant, after forming the BJP government, with the support of the deserted Congress and JD (S) MLAs, in July last. However, the issue of Cabinet expansion had postponed on one reason or the other, as Yediyurappa was struggling to keep the promise he had made to the former Congress and the JDS MLAs, on whose sacrifice the BJP came back to power.

With the strong demand for ministerial berths within the loyal BJP MLAs, the BJP high command had reportedly advised Yediyurappa to accommodate only a few of the turncoat MLAs and strike balance between the groups.

However, Yediyurappa, who had assured the Congress and JD (S) MLAs of giving them Cabinet berths, had been in dilemma ever since and found it tough to convince the party's Central leaders.

According to party sources, the Chief Minister is not only facing problems over the expansion of his Cabinet, but is also worried over the demand for creation of more number of Deputy Chief Ministers, adding to the present list of three.