Senior judge held for demanding bribe; Rs 94 lakh seized

Bengaluru, Jul 15: As on Wednesday, Bengaluru witnessed its first day of lockdown after rising number of Corona cases in the city. In a latest development, popular Kannada actor Dhruva Sarja and his wife Prerana Sarja have tested positive for COVID-19 sending shockwaves in the indutry.

Dhruva Sarja is the nephew of Arjun Sarja and younger brother of Chiranjeevi Sarja who passed away last month after suffering a massive heart attack.

The actor has requested people, who came in contact with them, to get tested immediately.

"My wife and I have both been tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and hence chosen to get ourselves hospitalised. I'm sure we'll be back all fine! All those who were in close proximity with us please get yourselves tested and remain safe," he tweeted.

My wife and I have both been tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and hence chosen to get ourselves hospitalised. I’m sure we’ll be back all fine! All those who were in close proximity with us please get yourselves tested and remain safe.
ಜೈ ಆಂಜನೇಯ

— Dhruva Sarja (@DhruvaSarja) July 15, 2020

In recent times, Mandya MP and popular actress Sumalatha Ambereesh too tested positive, now Dhruva Sarja is the second notable celebrity from Sandalwood to have tested positive for COVID-19.

A source close to the actor's family says that "During Chiranjeevi's funeral last month, some sections of people who had attended had also tested positive, as social distancing rules were not followed by those who attended the funeral. But now, the family has quarantined and there is no cause for worry. Dhruva has also requested all his primary contact to come forward voluntarily and get tested."

Bengaluru, Apr 5: Opening of Karnataka's borders to Kerala at this point in time will be like "embracing death," chief minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday making clear his government's stand not opening the state border.

The chief minister repeatedly said that for his government interest of the people of the state was supreme.

Yediyurappa made his stand clear in a letter to former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.

Gowda had recently written to the chief minister on March 31 seeking relaxation of the border restrictions on "humanitarian" grounds.

He had also written to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his anguish against Karnataka authorities for imposing restriction and promising to raise the matter with prime minister Narendra Modi.

Stating the decision to close the border was not sudden, Yediyurappa said, it was a conscious decision after analysing the health situation in the area following the spread of COVID-19.

The chief minister cited the Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru branch data regarding the spread of Covid-19 in Kasargod of Kerala and surrounding areas which was alarming.

Noting that the region has nearly 106 positive coronaviruscases, he said, "this is the region with most number of infections in the country."

If this restriction is removed, it puts the health of the people of Karnataka in to risk and create a situation of "embracing death", so we will not be able to open the border, Yediyurappa said.

He also clarified that there was no prejudice behind his government's decision, and the interest of the people of the state was of utmost importance.

"...There is also no political maliciousness. We want to have good and brotherly relationship with neighbouring states," he said, adding that opening the border will open a pandora's box that will be disastrous for the state.

Yediyurappa also thanked opposition parties for their support to his government in its fight against COVID-19.

Bengaluru, Feb 19: Playing down the simmering discontent among the disgruntled legislators who missed a cabinet berth again, Karnataka BJP on Tuesday denied any revolt brewing against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

"An unsigned letter in Kannada circulating in the social media is bogus, as it was fabricated in the name of Santosh, a private secretary to Yediyurappa. No revolt is brewing against the Chief Minister," party spokesman G. Madhusudhana told news agency here.

In the second cabinet expansion on February 6, only 10 newly-elected legislators, who defected from the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in July, were inducted, leaving the party's many aspiring lawmakers miffed.

"The talk of about 20 loyal MLAs ganging up against Yediyurappa is a speculation as rumour mills are working overtime. No rebellion is brewing against the Chief Minister," asserted the official.

On the charge that Yediyurappa's younger son B.Y. Vijayandra was acting like a 'super or de facto CM' and medalling in the state administration, Madhusudhana said the latter was only assisting his father in party activities as he was also a party worker.

"As Yediyurappa is 76 years old and ageing, Vijayandra is helping his father in party affairs so that he (Chief Minister) could be free to attend to administration," Madhusudhana said.

Yediyurappa's elder son B.Y. Raghavendra is a three-time BJP Lok Sabha member from Shimoga in the state's Malnad area.

With six cabinet posts vacant in the 34-member ministry, many legislators, including eight-time MLA Umesh Katti, are upset that they have not been rewarded for their loyalty to the party even six months after the BJP returned to power again in the southern state.

On the purported meeting of about 20 BJP MLAs at the residence of state Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar here on Monday, Madhusudhana said it was a "get-together" as they were all in Bengaluru again to attend the budget session of the state legislature which began on Monday.

"There is no crisis in the party. Our government is stable and will complete the remaining three-year term in office till May 2023," he added.