Karnataka

Crime

The Central Crime Branch (CCB), which is probing the case, conducted a search operation at Shinde’s home in Bengaluru at around 11 am on Tuesday.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Police on Wednesday arrested Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) management committee member Sudhindra Shinde in connection with the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) match-fixing case. The Central Crime Branch (CCB), which is probing the case, conducted a search operation at Shinde’s home in Bengaluru’s Domlur at around 11 am on Tuesday. The search operation went on till 3 pm. "We took him in for questioning and he was arrested on Wednesday," the police said. CCB Chief and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Sandeep Patil, said that 39-year-old Shinde was allegedly involved in recruiting players and fixing matches. “Sudhindra Shinde is the director of the Karnataka Under-19 team and also a former coach of the Belagavi Panthers cricket team. He is also a member of the KSCA’s managing committee in Raichur,” the police said. The Karnataka Premier League (KPL) was hit by the multi-crore match-fixing scam in September. The tournament, which concluded on August 31, was mired in controversy in September when police officials arrested the owner of Belagavi Panthers franchise Asfaq Ali over charges of match-fixing. It was alleged that players accepted money to fix matches in the league, including the final, in which two players have been accused of “slow batting”. Further investigation revealed a wide web of match-fixing in the Twenty20 cricket league, where players were allegedly blackmailed through honey-trapping tactics by bookies. Sandeep Patil said that Shinde was running a cricket club in Jayanagar when he met Ashfaq Ali, the prime accused in the match-fixing case in 2016. “Ashfaq Ali was a travel agent and in 2016, he offered to sponsor players who were a part of Shinde’s cricket club. Ashfaq Ali went on to form the Belagavi Panthers team in the KPL and he offered sponsorships for players in Shinde’s club to be a part of various KPL teams. These players were involved in match fixing,” Sandeep Patil said. Bengaluru Commissioner Bhaskar Rao revealed that players were filmed during expensive trips abroad to Dubai and the Caribbean after they were 'honey-trapped'. The videos were used to blackmail them into fixing games. Earlier, the police issued a lookout circular against former Bellary Tuskers' owner Arvind Venkatesha Reddy, who is suspected to have fled overseas for his involvement in the KPL betting scam. Since the investigation began after Belagavi Panthers' owner Asfaq Ali Thara was arrested on September 25, six persons have been taken into custody — Bengaluru Blasters players Gautam, Kazi, Nishant Singh Shekawat and Vishwanathan, their bowling coach Vinu Prasad and Bellary Tuskers drummer Bhavesh Bafna. The police also arrested Haryana-based bookie Sayyam for his role in the KPL betting scam. CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi are former Karnataka Ranji players. Started in 2008, and functioning as a feeder tournament for the IPL, KPL has emerged as a leading local franchise-based league with BCCI's approval. KPL also provides a platform to tap cricket talent from the Karnataka hinterland. As many as 16 KPL players have featured in the IPL.

Body 2:

Law and order

Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers were fined for refusing to ply to certain destinations, demanding more fare and also not having valid or improper documents.

Soumya Chatterjee

Traffic police in Bengaluru on Tuesday went on a crackdown against errant autorickshaw drivers who refused to ply on metered fares or denied rides in three out of the seven zones of the city. To catch offenders in the act, police officials posed as regular commuters in prime junctions under these zones and asked to be dropped at various locations in the city. In total more than 5,200 drivers were slapped with fines by the police across the city. The violations included refusing to ply to certain destinations, demanding more fare and also not having valid or improper documents. The number of auto drivers refusing rides were 797 in the East zone, 697 in the West zone and 81 in the North zone. Similarly, those demanding extra fare were 682 in the East, 604 in the West and 60 in the North zone. Another 212 autos from the East zone and 280 from West zone were seized by the police for having no or improper documents carried by the drivers. In these three zones, another 2,000-odd auto drivers were fined for minor offences like not wearing uniform and other violations. All these violations resulted in the traffic police collecting Rs 8,06,200 in fines. One traffic constable working in Chickpet Police Station in the West Zone said, “Only two out of 10 auto drivers will agree to go to a distance of more than 4-5 km on metre. This is the complaint we keep on getting from the public as well.” Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) BR Ravikant Gowda said that similar drives will be carried out in other zones of the city as well in light of multiple complaints against auto drivers. This drive from the traffic police comes after a similar initiative in July when more than 9,000 auto drivers were fined. Narayan Swamy, President of Adarsh Auto Driver Union in Bengaluru said, “These drives are important. Because of some auto drivers who over charge, all auto drivers get a bad name and people prefer Uber/ Ola cabs instead of autos. This results in less business for us”

Body 2:

Politics

The petitioners had claimed that Karnataka Chief Justice AS Oka was never made part of the consultation process even though it is mandated in the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.

Soumya Chatterjee

In an embarrassment to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the state government over the issue of appointing Justice (retired) BS Patil as the Upa Lokayukta of the state. The HC was hearing a public interest litigation claiming Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had bypassed protocol over the matter. The petitioners had claimed that Karnataka Chief Justice AS Oka was never made part of the consultation process even though it is mandated in the Karnataka Lokayukta Act. The law mandates the CM shall advise the Governor following a consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, the Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The petitioners Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, an NGO has claimed while former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in July had asked an opinion from the former Acting Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, the latter had said retired Justice AN Venugopala Gowda is the most suitable candidate. Even when Justice Oka took charge, then CM Kumaraswamy had asked for his opinion. Justice Oka had endorsed the choice of his predecessor. Justice Patil was appointed as the Upa Lokayukta based on an order issued by Governor Vajubhai Vala. However, the petitioners noted that CM Yediyurappa after assuming office wrote to CJ Oka that after consulting all other stakeholders, it has been decided to appoint Justice Patil. This the NGO has termed as sheer fraud on power. The NGO wants the HC to quash Justice Patil’s appointment. Incidentally, Yediyurappa whose party, the BJP (like the Congress) had promised to restore the power of the Lokayukta ahead of the elections in 2018 has not walked the talk yet. It may be recalled that it was the indictment by then Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde in an illegal mining case that forced Yediyurappa to step down from the Chief Minister’s chair in 2011. The powers of the Lokayukta to probe corruption cases on its own has been diluted with former CM Siddaramaiah forming an Anti-Corruption Bureau which reports to the CM’s office. Under the present circumstances, the Lokayukta can probe only once a complaint is made and senior government staff can be questioned only once cleared by the government.

Body 2:

Film

'Velvet Revolution' is a documentary produced by journalist and filmmaker Nupur Basu.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Velvet Revolution/IAWRT

Threats faced by women journalists are very real and this is the message that was highlighted in journalist Nupur Basu’s documentary Velvet Revolution. Speaking at the screening at Bangalore Club on Tuesday evening, Nupur said that the murder of Gauri Lankesh only reinforced the threat to women journalists in the country was real. On the night of September 5, 2017 journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead right outside her house in Bengaluru. “It wasn’t something that happened in a remote place or unknown area. It was right here in our city,” said Nupur Basu. "The statistics are alarming, yet the issue of violence faced by women was still not getting as much attention as it warranted. Until it happened in our own backyard, we did not realize the magnitude of the risks faced by women in journalism,” she said. Velvet Revolution has been a collaborative effort of 17 journalists across the world which was produced jointly by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT). The costs incurred by the women in the documentary are numerous, but despite such threats and risks, Nupur Basu stressed the importance of getting women to come forward in the field of journalism. Among several stories in the documentary is that of Bangladeshi-American blogger Rafida Bonya Ahmed. Rafida decided to go to Dhaka in February 2015 to attend a book fair along with her husband Avijit Roy, she had no idea what the trip would cost her. Avijit, a US-based Bangladeshi blogger, who wrote extensively against religious extremism, was hacked to death near Dhaka University. Rafida too sustained severe injuries, but survived and was forced to go into hiding in the United States under the protection of the FBI. Rafida's story is one of the six shown in the documentary Velvet Revolution by senior journalist and filmmaker Nupur Basu, which was screened on Tuesday evening at Bangalore Club. Avijit’s murder was one of five attacks in 2015 in which bloggers, who were so outspoken about religious extremism, were targeted. Following the attack on Avijit, Rafida’s life was under threat from several religious extremists, including the Islamic State, as a result of which she had gone into hiding. Today she is relatively safer, but living with the risk of such threats has become almost the norm for women bloggers and journalists and this issue is addressed in the documentary. Similar to Rafida, but a lot closer to home, journalist Malini Subramaniam was forced to uproot herself from her hometown in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district and move because of the threats she faced for reporting human rights violations faced by Adivasis at the hands of the armed forces. Malini wrote extensively of the horrors the Adivasis faced. She has reported on a number of human rights violations including sexual violence against Adivasi women, jailing of minors, threats against journalists and abuse by police and armed forces that members of this community faced. She won the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and continues to be an active member of the media today. “Journalism is truth telling, to pretend to be neutral and blind to what is happening around you, I think that is unnatural,” states Phillipino journalist Inday Espina Varona in the documentary who works out of one of the most unsafe countries for women and men in the profession alike. Other prominent journalists whose stories are shared in the documentary include Cameroonian radio journalist Moussa Marandata who speaks about the conflict with the Boko Haram and the kidnapping of young girls by the rebels. Journalist Najibu Ayoubi from Afghanistan shares that most of the women she works with don’t know if they will make it to the office on a regular basis because of the constant threats they face. However, even so the women continue to report. Zaina Erhaim, a Syrian journalist was forced to move from her hometown in Aleppo in Syria to take shelter in south Turkey after she began to report about the civil war.

Body 2:

A video of the choir singing has been viewed over 960,000 times on Facebook.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The video of children at a Bengaluru school's choir, singing Believer by Imagine Dragons has gone viral on social media. So much so that the band's Twitter handle has also retweeted the video expressing appreciation. In the video, girls of St Charles Girls High School in Bengaluru can be seen rehearsing the song in perfect harmony. The choir teacher’s mother shared the video of the students practicing their song on Facebook, and the video has been over 9,60,000 times at the time of writing. In the video, you can see about 80 students standing on pews of different heights, vocalising in harmony to different parts of the song. Posts on social media show that the choir students were practicing the song Believer, as one of the songs in their repertoire for a program commemorating the 75th year anniversary of the school, which was held on December 2. Twitter user @HaramiParindey tagged the Imagine Dragons twitter account in a tweet that noted: “in India, students are singing the song Believer in school!” However, he incorrectly stated that the song was being sung at assembly. Visuals clearly show a choir during practice. Hey @Imaginedragons - schools in India are singing Believer in morning assembly. pic.twitter.com/g0Vp0xMeWy — Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) December 2, 2019 Dan Reynolds, the lead singer, replied to the tweet, saying “so beautiful, thanks for sharing”. This tweet was liked by thousands of twitter users, and left Indian twitter in a tizzy. so beautiful. thank you for sharing this. — Dan Reynolds (@DanReynolds) December 3, 2019 Donnah George, the choir director and alumnus of St Charles High School, said that she never expected the attention the video received. “I do this on the side, part time to keep in touch with my choir roots. There’s a misconception that a choir is supposed to stand still and sing holy songs, and I wanted to change that. That’s what this is all about! A choir can be fun.” Dennis George, the violinist for the event and the brother of the choir director Donnah George said, “Though we’re really happy about the success of the video my mum posted, I still feel that, as a musician, we should always be humble.”

Body 2:

Elections

As many as 165 candidates, including 126 Independents and 9 women are in the fray in the 15 Assembly seats.

IANS

Image for representation

Voting began in 15 Assembly segments in Karnataka where by-elections are being held to fill the vacancies caused by the resignation and disqualification of the 14 Congress and 3 JD-S rebels in July, an official said."Polling began at 7:00 a.m. in all the 15 Assembly constituencies amid tight security to elect the new legislators. Voting will be allowed till 6:00 p.m.," an Election Commission official told IANS here. By-elections are being held inAAthani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijaynagara, Chickballapura, K.R. Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagara, Hosakote, K.R. Pete and Hunsur Assembly seats. The 15 constituencies have nearly 38-lakh eligible voters, including 19.25-lakh men and 18.52-lakh women."The Election Commission has declared paid leave for the voters working in public or private offices to exercise franchise in their polling stations," asserted the official. As many as 165 candidates, including 126 Independents and 9 women are in the fray in the 15 Assembly seats. The BJP and the opposition Congress are contesting in all the 15 assembly seats, while the JD-S only in 12 seats. The 3,185 polling stations have a total of 8,326 ballot units and 8,186 controlling units and 7,876 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) for casting the ballots. The vote count is on December 9.

Body 2:

Aviation

The second runway is part of Kempegowda International Airport’s Rs 13,000 crore expansion plan.

Soumya Chatterjee

Starting Thursday, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru will commence the operations for its second runway, along with its existing runway. The second runway, which is termed the ‘new south parallel runway’, is located south of the existing runway and will see simultaneous operations. However, the new south parallel runway will begin functioning only at a limited capacity as not all the taxiways are operationally ready yet. The Bangalore International Airport Limited’s (BIAL), which operates the airport, has neither revealed further details nor issued a statement regarding the development. Earlier, at a press meet, the Managing Director and CEO of BIAL had suggested that the second runway will be operational from as early as October. This second runway is part of the airport’s Rs 13,000 crore expansion plan, which involves a new terminal, widening of access roads as well as a new multi-modal transport hub. This also includes setting up of two metro stations inside the 4,000-acre airport campus and also a suburban railway station. The validation (test) flight operations — the procedure wherein a flight lands and takes off as a test, to check if the runway is capable — were successfully carried out in late August. Here are five things to know about the new runway This new runway makes the Kempegowda International Airport the only Indian facility to have two parallel independent runways Once fully functional, the new runway will facilitate flight operations at close to zero visibility (50m) conditions owing to its Cat-III-B ILS (Category 3 Instrument Landing Systems). This will also eliminate the possibility of fog-induced delays and diversion in the airport, which is a common feature during the winter months The new runway will also be able to allow the landing of Airbus A380 or any other advanced aircraft being 4,000 metres long and 45 metres wide Once the new runway is fully functional, the existing runway will be closed down for repairs for close to a year, as it has been operational for over a decade. When the existing runway is also ready for operation, the airport authority will use both the runways as per requirement. All these integrated advancements will allow the airport, which is now considered the second fastest growing airport in the world, to carry out 90 take-offs and touch-down in one hour.

Body 2:

Politics

As many as 165 candidates, including 126 Independents and 9 women are in the fray in the 15 Assembly seats.

TNM Staff

Bye-polls to 15 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka are underway since 7 am on Thursday. The polls are crucial to the survival of the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government in the state. The BJP needs to win at least six seats to remain in power in the state. Polling began at 7:00 am in all the 15 Assembly constituencies amid tight security to elect the new legislators. Voting will go on till 6:00 pm. In Bengaluru alone, where four seats are witnessing bye-elections, close to 3,000 police personnel including central forces have been deployed to ensure smooth and peaceful electoral process. Bye-elections are being held in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijaynagara, Chickballapura, KR Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, KR Pete and Hunsur Assembly seats. The 15 constituencies have nearly 38 lakh eligible voters, including 19.25-lakh men and 18.52-lakh women. As many as 165 candidates, including 126 Independents and 9 women are in the fray in the 15 Assembly seats. The BJP and the opposition Congress are contesting in all 15 Assembly seats, while the JD(S) is standing in 12 constituencies. The 3,185 polling stations have a total of 8,326 ballot units and 8,186 controlling units and 7,876 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) for casting the ballots. These bye-polls are necessitated due to disqualification of rebel MLAs belonging to the Congress and JD(S) ruling coalition. While a total of 17 MLAs left the coalition, elections in two assembly segments -- Muski (Raichur district) and R.R. Nagar (Bengaluru) have been withheld due to litigation in the Karnataka High Court over their results in the May 2018 state assembly elections. Follow live updates here: Note: Please disable your ad blocker if the blog is not loading

Body 2:

Crime

The man was a victim of a phishing expedition and the fraudsters were able to access his bank account details.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Ordering a pizza proved to be costly for this Bengaluru techie, who ended up losing Rs 95,000 in an online scam. At around 1.30 pm on December 1, NV Sheik, a resident of Bengaluru’s Koramangala, used food delivery app Zomato on his phone to order himself a pizza. According to the police, even after an hour of waiting, his order had not been delivered following which he looked up the number for the app’s customer care service. Upon calling the number, he was allegedly informed that the restaurant was not accepting orders and was assured that a refund would be initiated. The fraudster posing as a customer care executive allegedly informed Sheik that he would receive a message on his phone after the call and upon clicking on a link in the message, his refund request would be processed. The Madiwala Police, who are investigating the case, say that once Sheikh clicked on the link, he became a victim of a phishing expedition and the fraudsters were able to access his bank account details. Within minutes, Rs 45,000 had been deducted from one of his bank accounts and before he could transfer the remaining amount to a different account, another Rs 50,000 had been deducted. Sheik approached the Madiwala police station in the city and filed a complaint with them, following which further investigations are currently underway. He had reportedly been saving the money to pay for the expenses of his mother’s cancer treatment. Zomato does not have a customer care number. Speaking to TNM, a Zomato spokesperson said that the company does not have a calling service for customer care. "We constantly remind our users via different channels of communication that we do not have a customer care number. Chat and email are our primary channels of care. While we take every effort to ensure customer safety and security, we also urge our esteemed customers to be vigilant and not share their personal or bank account details with anyone." Though it is true that when an order is delayed or faces issues on Zomato, one has to go to help section and chat with customer care, a random Google search does throw up a lot of fraudulent numbers. Of late, a number of cases of cyber crime have been reported. Earlier in November, a man from Bengaluru had alleged that he had lost around Rs 85,000 from his bank account via a UPI pay scam operation. Police have also warned that skimming machines have been kept in certain ATM kiosks through which culprits take money out of the account of unsuspecting individuals. Police officials have requested individuals not to share their personal details and to be cautious when using digital forms of payment. Also read: Why conviction rate for cyber crime cases in Karnataka is abysmally low

Body 2:

Crime

The 29-year-old woman filed a complaint against Kiran Bishwakarma with the Madiwala Police.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru police on Wednesday arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting and stalking a woman for months. On December 2, a 29-year-old woman filed a complaint with the Madivala Police stating that her former boyfriend, Kiran Bishwakarma, allegedly sexually assaulted her after locking her up in a hotel room. The woman also said that Kiran had been stalking her ever since she broke off the relationship. In her complaint, the woman states that she was in a relationship with Kiran for three years and over six months ago, she had broken off the relationship alleging that he had physically and mentally abused her during the course of their relationship. Kiran allegedly kept stalking her and standing outside a building in Koramangala, where she lived in a paying guest accommodation. On November 26, Kiran allegedly showed up outside the PG and created a ruckus. Police say that the woman went down to send Kiran away but the dispute turned violent when he allegedly beat her on the road. The woman then ran inside the building. “Kiran kept calling her and the woman did not answer. He kept calling her well into the night and she answered his call. He allegedly asked her to meet him one last time and promised to leave her alone if she did so. He asked her to come to iNest Suites in Madivala,” the Madivala Police said. Police say that after she went inside to meet Kiran, he allegedly locked her up in the room, forcibly disrobed her and beat her up. “He tore her clothes and when she started screaming, he clamped his hand on her mouth. She then told that she would do whatever he says as she wanted to escape. He fought with her and when he fell asleep, she escaped,” the police said. Fearing another attack, the woman left town and went to stay with her sister in Hyderabad. She then decided to file a police complaint after she returned to Bengaluru on December 2. The Madivala Police registered an FIR under sections 354(A) (sexual harassment), 354(D) (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354(B) (assault with intent to disrobe a woman), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage modesty) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC. The police arrested Kiran on Wednesday and he is currently in judicial custody.

Body 2:

Accident

39-year-old Kalyani was travelling back to Hyderabad from Maharashtra’s Udgir when the incident occurred.

Theja Ram

Screengrab

A woman from Hyderabad died in Karnataka’s Bidar district on Thursday after a car in which she was travelling caught fire. 39-year-old Kalyani was travelling back to Hyderabad from Maharashtra’s Udgir when the incident occurred. A video of the burning car went viral soon after the incident. At around 10.30 am on Thursday, Kalyani, her husband Uday Kumar (42) and two children aged seven and ten years old, were travelling back to Hyderabad in a Hyundai i10. Kalyani was sitting in the front seat, while her husband was driving the car along national highway 9 in Bidar’s Mannaekhelli in Humnabad taluk. According to the Mannaekhelli Police, the temperature of the air conditioning equipment in the car had increased drastically and smoke began coming out of the car. Within seconds, the car caught fire and Uday Kumar immediately parked the car on the side of the road and got out. He then rescued his children, who were sitting in the back seat, after instructing his wife to get out. However, the fire allegedly spread within minutes and Kalyani was unable to get out of the car. “She was wearing a seatbelt and it got stuck. She was unable to detach the seat belt when the car caught fire,” said Mannaekhelli station officer Sunita. Uday Kumar called an ambulance and within minutes a fire engine also arrived at the spot to douse the flames. However, due to the intensity of the fire, Kalyani couldn’t be saved and succumbed. The Mannaekhelli police took Uday Kumar and the two children to the government hospital where they were administered first aid. They did not sustain any injuries. Kalyani's body has been sent for an autopsy. The Mannaekhelli police have registered an accident case. Kalyani's body will be released to the family on Friday.

Body 2:

Cults

Despite the multiple controversies dogging him and his activities over half a decade, the self-styled godman continues to hog the limelight.

Manasa Rao

A scrawny man, all of 22, sits atop a deerskin mat in a nondescript hill somewhere in northern Tamil Nadu. Vibhuti (holy ash) is smeared across his forehead, as a photo is being taken of him in meditative posture. The image, one of seemingly harmless religiosity, is that of Nithyananda, the man who is in the news today for reportedly having 'bought' his own Hindu kingdom. But the photos one sees of the self-styled godman today – sitting on a large throne, adorned with gold jewellery and preaching to audiences with an outer-space backdrop – is a far cry from his days in Thiruvannamalai district as an aspiring ascetic. Over the years, Nithyananda has been embroiled in many controversies. In March 2010, news channels published an investigative sting of the godman in an intimate relationship with a Tamil film actor. Nithyananda, who was known to preach a life of celibacy and abstinence, was suddenly facing protests from disillusioned devotees and others. Two days after the tape was broadcast, a woman devotee filed a complaint of alleged rape against him and all hell broke loose. Nithyananda, whose ashrams were already under attack, fled. In April 2010, he was arrested from Himachal Pradesh and brought to Bengaluru. Yet today, he’s an influential 'godman', with a following across countries. His YouTube channel simply titled ‘Nithyananda’ has nearly 2 lakh subscribers. His devotees run two Facebook pages – one titled HDH Nithyananda Paramashivam, with the official ‘verified’ sign from Facebook; the other is called The Avatar Clicks. The second channel, which posts short clips of his speeches, is wildly popular, not just among his devotees but also his detractors, who share the videos ridiculing him. Not many are aware that his devotees ultimately benefit from the page views accruing to the page, even if it is to diss them. So what explains the steady growth and continuity of his cult despite serious crimes he is yet to answer for, and questionable, illegal practices reported at his ashrams? The rise of Nithyananda It was in the year 2000 that Nithyananda set up his first ashram in Tamil Nadu. After spreading to a few districts in the state, the Nityananda Peetham opened its first big ashram in Bidadi in the outskirts of Bengaluru in 2003. The arrest in 2010, made him go under the radar for a while, but Nithyananda made a powerful comeback. Positioning himself as a victim of religious persecution – a 'Hindu guru being targeted’ – he launched a multi-pronged attack against his detractors. While the case was delayed in courts using many tactics, various complaints ranging from fund misappropriation to assault were filed on other whistleblowers. In 2015, a woman devotee died inside the ashram leading to another controversy. The mother of a young man who had tried to kill himself in the ashram in 2008 also gave a statement to the Karnataka CID around this time. But nothing stopped the Nithyananda empire from growing. From ashrams in almost every district of Tamil Nadu and in Bidadi, he slowly started owning and operating properties across the country – in Telangana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Puducherry. While initially Nithyananda ran one gurukul out of the Bidadi ashram, another one was started in Ahmedabad a few years ago. He has adheenams, or major ashrams in Madurai, Chennai and Hyderabad too. Hyderabad has been one of the biggest emerging destinations for the cult, with many business families in the city becoming followers. His operations in the United States too has spread to many cities in the past few years with ashrams set up in Ohio, San Jose, Seattle, Phoenix and a few other places. Nithyananda has been popular amongst a section of young people in America and over the years, many of them have been given administrative positions in the dhyanapeetham. While controversies took a backseat, the last one-and-half years have seen Nithyananda becoming a social media sensation. Money power “There are two ways in which he manages to grow,” says a former member of the ashram who was with Nithyananda’s cult for seven years, “One is foreign funding from NRIs, and the second is domestic donations from large Hindu business families. His devotees come from middle and upper classes. The money keeps him afloat.” These donations are either money given upfront, or ‘gifts’ of acres of land to set up new ashrams. He was even touted to start an ashram next to the iconic Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Reports of Nithyananda fleeing the country have not stopped operations at his ashrams which continue to be thronged by devotees. These ashrams are also residences for many who are part of Nithyananda’s cult. They require significant amount of financial resources to feed and shelter his devotees, even though the labour may come from the volunteers. His notoriety for his alleged crimes including rape and child abuse charges, unscientific claims and calls for a Hindu theocracy have, shockingly, had little effect on his cult. The godman is currently on the run from the law but his devotees continue to ‘attend’ his ‘spiritual discourses’ with a cardboard cut-out of him placed on a plastic chair. However, groups that support him are already making noises about an innocent man being persecuted, and the cult hopes that this wave too will make Nithyananda grow further.

Body 2:

Transport

At present, the plan is only restricted to the 18.5 km stretch on the Outer Ring Road stretch between KR Puram Tin Factory to Silk Board junction.

Soumya Chatterjee

Despite some teething problems, the bus priority lanes which have been introduced in Bengaluru jointly by the BBMP, BMTC and Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) in mid-November are showing early signs of success. The idea behind bus lanes is to ensure priority access over private transport especially two-wheelers and in the process motivate people to ditch their own vehicles. This, in turn, is expected to reduce overall congestion in the city. The Bangalore Traffic Police is expected to enforce the rule of only allowing BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses in the left-most lanes of the roads chosen for this initiative. Violators are punished with a fine of Rs 500 for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for subsequent violations since December 1. Traffic police said that for the first 15 days, they tried to communicate the message to motorists and create awareness about the initiative. Since November 15, the plan is only restricted to the 18.5 km stretch on the Outer Ring Road stretch between KR Puram Tin Factory to Silk Board. And a similar protocol is expected to be put in place for 12 other major roads in the city including the Hosur Road and Old Madras Road. Car vs bus Yogeesh Prabhuswamy, an activist with Citizens for Bengaluru, who works at Global Technology Park and a friend Ghanshyam who works at Prestige Tech Park compared the travel times of a bus and a car between KR Puram Tin Factory to the Kadubessanahalli Bus Stop for JP Morgan office on the Outer Ring Road over three days in peak hour traffic. What they realised was that it roughly took the same time in a bus or in a private car –around 30 minutes. The two started from the same place and the same time between December 2 and 4, with Yogeesh taking the bus and Ghanshyam taking the car. Yogeesh said, “In fact, on the first day, the bus was faster than the car despite the bus having to wait at bus stops and give time for passengers to board and deboard. Moreover, the bus conductor often stops the bus to collect fares which can be avoided.” Day 1 Starting time: 8:45 am 29m to Kadubesanahalli :) By clock Bus might have one but let's attribute it to error margin and call it 'Same time' - 30m :) Because we also synced with call and we were there almost at same time ;) #BusPriorityLane with full force can be a clear winner :) @BMTC_Bangalore pic.twitter.com/azsWhzqSTc— Yogeesh Prabhuswamy (@yogeeshgp) December 2, 2019 Day 2 Starting time: 9:00 am #BusPriorityLane #RaceDay 2 #BusVsCar Verdict - Tie again! ~27m from KR puram rly-Kadubesanahalli(JPMorgan stop)@BMTC_BENGALURU @BBMPCOMM @blrcitytraffic @DULTBangalore @citizensforblr @BBPVedike @WFRising @BellandurJothge @srinualavilli @NammaBengaluroo @ghanshyam_in pic.twitter.com/a7ROyfpokU — Yogeesh Prabhuswamy (@yogeeshgp) December 3, 2019 Day 3 Starting time: 8:10 am So its a tie again today, 3 in a row - #BusVsCar #RaceDay3 on #BusPriorityLane! *Bus would've won if it had not stopped 3m for issuing ticket - @BMTC_Bangalore Nodrappa olle chance missu :( PS: We didn't time sync today. #Nimbus https://t.co/MGOfqU0axd pic.twitter.com/IT1AJhUu8G— Yogeesh Prabhuswamy (@yogeeshgp) December 4, 2019 Yogeesh added, “While there is a lot of improvement expected with the authorities creating barricades restricting vehicles entering the lanes midway, a lot can be done by the traffic police.” There have been multiple instances of road users complaining of an unabated violation of the rule due to the lack of effective enforcement. On this, Yogeesh insisted just by manning only places near bus stops or where there is flyover down ramps, the system can be made more efficient in the short term. Another issue that Yogeesh pointed was the lack of awareness and signage created by the authorities to inform the road users. BMTC staff also conceded that the system is yet to be finetuned to perfection. Nagaraj Murthy BS, Division Controller for Central Division, said, “So far we are only seeing 10 minutes of average travel time reduction in the entire stretch. This is due to other vehicles entering the bus lanes as there are no physical barricades. But soon with greater awareness and enforcement, we are confident of bringing down the travel time by more than 30 minutes and more. We plan to run more than 450 Volvo buses in this stretch alone.” He added, “Once we establish a consistent pattern of travel times, we will form a timetable. This coupled with the upcoming real-time bus tracking app will make BMTC much more reliable and user-friendly.” G M T Y Detect languageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanKurdishKyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianPashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu AfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanKurdishKyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianPashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu Text-to-speech function is limited to 200 characters Options : History : Feedback : Donate Close

Body 2:

Politics

KC Ramamurthy, a former IPS officer, was elected unopposed.

Soumya Chatterjee

Twitter / @rajeev_mp

Former IPS officer from Karnataka, KC Ramamurthy was re-elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday as a BJP MP, on the same day 15 Assembly constituencies in the state went to polls. Neither the Congress nor the JD(S) fielded any candidate against him, resulting in Ramamurthy walkover. While there were two independent nominations, they were rejected on technical grounds. Thursday was the last day of filing nominations and he was adjudged the winner due to lack of any competition. Ramamurthy had filed his nomination for the post on November 29 amidst much fanfare in the presence of fellow Rajya Sabha MP from Bengaluru— Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, party state president Nalin Kumar Kateel and senior party MLAs like R Ashoka. Ramamurthy who was with the Congress until recently had joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly bye-polls. A Rajya Sabha MP for the Congress from June 2009, he resigned on October 16. At that time, it was speculated, Ramamurthy might contest the bye-polls on a BJP ticket. He had also been a member of the Standing Committee of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice. He had retired from the IPS voluntarily in 2007 when he was serving as the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic & Security). Other than politics, he is also the Chairman of the CMR Jnanadhara Trust and has been previously associated with the Bangalore University as its registrar. The CMR Jnanadhara Trust runs a University that has engineering and degree colleges, schools and also a Montessori school. Ramamurthy was an aspirant for Lok Sabha Elections during the 2014 polls and was also rumoured to be joining the JD(S) after he failed to secure a Congress ticket.

Body 2:

Politics

Four exit polls predict that the BJP will win at least nine seats or more.

Soumya Chatterjee

If the exit polls predictions in Karnataka bye-elections are anything to go by, then Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will comfortably hold onto his chair, post-December 9. The BJP needs to win at least six of the 15 seats that went for the polls on Thursday. The results will be declared on December 9. Four prominent exit polls predicted that the BJP will win at nine seats or more. C-Voter exit polls have predicted the BJP will win 12 out of the 15 seats and Congress will win only three seats. The JD(S) is pegged to win no seats, according to C-Voter. According to Public TV, BJP is expected to win 8-10 seats while the Congress and JD(S) who fought the elections separately will win 3-5 seats and 1-2 seats respectively. Meanwhile, independent candidatess are pegged to win 0-1 seats. Even BTV has forecasted a favourable result for the BJP. This exit poll also predicts BJP is poised to win nine seats while the Congress and JD(S) will manage just three and two seats each. And one independent candidate is expected to emerge victorious. Similarly, Power TV has said the BJP’l will secure 8-12 sets, while the Congress will win 3-6 seats. The JD(S) and independents will win only 0-2 and 0-1 seats respectively. These exit polls are based on data collected till 4 pm. Meanwhile, the Election Commission said an estimated 60% of the total 37.78 lakh electors have cast their vote until 5:24 pm on Thursday in 15 assembly constituencies. The two constituencies in Bengaluru have recorded comparatively lower turnout. While Mahalakshi layout recorded 40.47 %, it was 41.13% in Shivajinagar. Turnout in other constituencies are: Athani- 70.73 %, Kagwad- 69.76%, Gokak- 66.64%, Yellapur- 72.23%, Hirekerur- 72.42%, Ranebennur- 67.92%, Vijayanagara- 58.93%, Yeshwanthpura 48.34%, Hoskote- 76.19%, K R Pete- 75.87%, and Hunsur- 74.47%, they said.

Body 2:

Aviation

Earlier, it was said that the new runway will be ready by October.

TNM Staff

File image

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) which was due to commence operations on its second runway starting from Thursday, along with its existing runway, has sad that the process has been deferred. Earlier, at a press meet, the Managing Director and CEO of BIAL Hari Marar, had suggested that the second runway will be operational from as early as October. “Regulatory paperwork is under way for the South Runway and associated infrastructure at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru with the first flight expected to operate from the South Runway as soon as the approvals are received,” a Bangalore International Airport Limited’s (BIAL) spokesperson said on Thursday evening. Until now, the airport authority was not sharing any update regarding the opening of the second terminal. It has neither revealed further details nor issued a statement regarding the development. BIAL had earlier announced that the validation (test) flight operations — the procedure wherein a flight lands and takes off as a test, to check if the runway is capable — were successfully carried out in late August. As previously reported, the new south parallel runway will begin functioning only in a limited capacity as not all the taxiways are operationally ready yet. This second runway is part of the airport’s Rs 13,000 crore expansion plan, which involves a new terminal, widening of access roads as well as a new multi-modal transport hub. This also includes setting up of two metro stations inside the 4,000-acre airport campus and also a suburban railway station. Read: Bengaluru Airport to open its second runway on Thursday: Five things to know

Body 2:

Controversy

The incident took place when the journalist was covering the bye-polls in KR Puram.

TNM Staff

PTI

In what seems to be an unwarranted case of violence by the police in Bengaluru, a police officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police allegedly slapped a Bengaluru-based reporter of an English daily. The reporter is working as a principal correspondent of The New Indian Express. The video of the ACP slapping the reporter, too, has gone viral on social media. According to reports, the incident took place when the reporter was video recording the police seemingly abusing a protestor holding placard in KR Puram. The protester was advocating free and fair elections and asking people not to take money from political parties and to “save democracy”. Reports identified the errant officer as ACP of Whitefield Sub Division, V Krishnappa. The police were reportedly unhappy as the protester had reappeared with a fresh set of placards after he was warned off for protesting near a polling booth. It was around 1 pm when the police tried to forcefully detain the protester, Santosh, and took him to the ACP. In the video that has gone viral, the ACP was seen verbally abusing Santosh. The journalist, who was at that spot, was filming the video. Police excesses! @BlrCityPolice's ACP Krishnappa threatens & abuses citizen creating voter awareness at KR Puram then attacks @NewIndianXpress' reporter recording atrocity. Is this what cops shud do@CMofKarnataka ? @HMOKarnataka @santwana99 @gsvasu_TNIE @ceo_karnataka @CPBlr pic.twitter.com/iCxiyLJmst— TNIE Karnataka (@XpressBengaluru) December 5, 2019 After the protester was taken away, the ACP noticed the camera. Unhappy that the incident was videographed, the ACP himself objected to it and allegedly slapped the journalist. Speaking to The Hindu, the reporter, who was allegedly assaulted, said that the ACP was abusing the protector and threatened to jail him if he did not leave. When asked about the incident, City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has assured that the matter will be looked into and an inquiry would be conducted. At present, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) MN Anuchet has sought a report on the incident.

Body 2:

Controversy

Nithyananda has been absconding since mid-2018 when charges were framed against him in a rape case against him.

Soumya Chatterjee

More than 10 days since various media publications and whistle blowers speculated that self-styled godman and rape-accused Nithyananda was in Ecuador, the Central American nation has denied such a development. Speaking to TNM, an embassy official in New Delhi said the country denied him protection by refusing to gave him refugee status. In a detailed statement, the embassy said, "The Embassy of Ecuador categorically denies the statement, wherever published, that self-styled Guru Nithyananda was given asylum by Ecuador or has been helped by the government of Ecuador in purchasing any land or island in South America near or far from Ecuador." According to the embassy, Nithyananda left to Haiti as soon as refugee status was denied. Haiti is an island nation in the Caribbean. "Moreover, Ecuador denied the request for international personal protection (refuge) made by Mr. Nithyananda before Ecuador and later on, Mr. Nithyananda left Ecuador presumably on his way to Haiti," it added. It said that all the information "published in digital and print media in India is based on the information which allegedly has been sourced from https://kailaasa.org, a website which is supposedly maintained by Mr. Nithyananda or by his people". It urged digital or print media houses to "refrain from citing Ecuador in any form in all pieces of information related to Mr. Nithyananda". Nithyananda has been absconding since mid-2018 when charges were framed against him in a rape case that was being heard by a court in Bengaluru. Whistle blowers have speculated that he went to Nepal, where Indians can travel without a passport. And from there, whistle blowers claim he travelled to a South American nation on a fake Venuzuealen passport arranged by one of his followers. Ministry of External Affairs officials earlier said that Nithyananda did not leave the country legally through any of the sea ports or airports in India. A copy of Nithyananda’s passport accessed by TNM shows it was due to expire in September 2018 and was not renewed due to the rape charges. A section of whistle blowers speculates that Nithyananda is currently in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago where some of his devotees from India are due to travel shortly via Singapore. Nithyananda is accused of raping his former disciple under the garb of spirituality. The trial for the case which was registered in 2010 began in 2018. Nithyananda has been booked under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 420 (cheating), 114 (criminal abetment), 201 (disappearance of evidence, giving false information),120B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was successful in exploiting legal loopholes and delayed the trial for close to a decade. More recently, he is wanted by Gujarat Police in a child abuse and abduction case. His whereabouts remain a subject of speculation even though his videos surface regularly on social media. Nithyananda was recently booked by the Gujarat police under sections 365 (abduction), 344 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. Two of his associates are also in jail in connection with the same case. There have been reports of Nithyananda approaching Central American nation Belize for citizenship as well. Gujarat Police sources have confirmed to TNM that the Interpol has not been approached regarding Nithyananda as of now as reported by some media outlets. (With IANS inputs)

Body 2:

Review

Consisting of seven short films, Rishab Shetty’s movie doesn’t give enough space for viewers to absorb characters as it moves quickly from one to the next.

Aravind Shwetha

YouTube screenshot

Imagine watching seven short films, each 20-odd minutes long, at a stretch – some good, some bad, and some average. That’s Rishab Shetty’s Katha Sangama for you. Sandalwood has had its fair share of anthology films in recent times – Dayavittu Gamanisi, Kahi and now Katha Sangama. The trailer had painted the picture of a warm story and the movie, to an extent, lives up to it. The cherry on the cake comes at the end through Lacchaava, which makes up for a few flaws in the first six stories. Katha Sangama is an ensemble film filled with several characters. This is not a preachy film that opens with a problem and hands out solution in the end; it is more like an expedition through varied emotions and experiences. But, it largely misses out on the much-needed wow factor. It is akin to life handing out surprises; everything may not always bring cheer. The seven chapters are – Rainbow Land, Sathya Katha Prasanga, Girgitle, Utthara, Padavaralli, Sagara Sangama and Lachavva. Rainbow Land: Kishore, Yagna Shetty, Baby Mridunika The story is about Kishore trying to build a Rainbow Land inside their house for his loving daughter. But what happens when nature decides to go against all the hard work? Sathya Katha Prasanga: Prakash Belawadi and Sowmya Jaganmurthy Prakash Belawadi’s last day at work leaves him reminiscing about his good old life. A certain energy keeps pulling him back. When he meets tattoo artist Sowmya Jaganmurthy, a surprise awaits him. Girgitle: Raj B Shetty, Amrutha Naik Irresponsible lad Raj B Shetty falls in love with Amrutha Naik. Raj is blessed with a unique vision through which he can time travel. But when he reveals this secret to a friend, everything backfires. Utthara: Balaji Manohar and Pramod Shetty TV channel editor Balaji Manohar is a selfish man who uses news content for ulterior motives. Jacob (Pramod Shetty) is assigned to kill him. But there is more to it than meets the eyes. Padavaralli: Avinash and Hari Samashti Set in the pre-Independence era, the story takes place inside a barber’s shop. Cop Avinash is in Hari’s shop to avail his services. But the poisonous thoughts sowed by the British in people’s minds cause some tension between the two. Sagara Sangama: Hariprriyaa, Rishab Shetty and Rumy (Dog) The 20-odd minute silent story speaks louder than the other stories. Hariprriyaa gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and the only man around who can help her is a fierce-looking beggar with a ferocious dog. Sometimes, you must not judge a book by its cover but pick a chapter and let it unfold on its own. Sagara Sangama works on this theme. Lachavva: Paravva, Raghavendra C, Beeresh, Nidhi Hegde A majority of the audience is sure to call this their favourite story. Lachavva is a villager who is in Bengaluru to meet her only son. But what happens when she confuses Banaswadi and Basavangudi? Well, an emotional ride with an applause-worthy climax. Lachavva is sure to stay close to the hearts of many because of the natural performance by Paravva. Though she isn’t a professional actor, she sure knows how to bring tears to your eyes. All the others actors too have put up a good performance. Seven stories by seven filmmakers, seven musicians and seven DOPs, all of them very talented, is a treat to watch, allowing for a few glitches. The individual plots are engaging at times, but do not evoke great interest – like the Padavaralli episode. It could have been appealing, but the execution did not do justice to the story. Both Utthara and Padavaralli can be rated average to bad. Girgitle and Lachavva were my favourites. However, the 20-odd-minute stories do not give enough space for viewers to absorb the characters. Also, since several technicians have worked individually on each story, the final product leaves the audience with mixed vibes. Cinematographers have stuck to the theme and have brought out a colourful movie based on the storyline. Music too is a mix of everything. Manasina Olage, Arivu Beku, Oorendarenu are sure to stir up emotions. As the credits roll, Lachavva stays in your mind, but the movie experience leaves you with a sense of dissatisfaction. One thing to note about Katha Sangama is that as it offers a plethora of emotions, everyone can pick their favourites and agree or disagree with others’ choices. Katha Sangama is recommended as a one-time watch if you are tired of done-to-death commercial films. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

Body 2:

Civic Issues

The BBMP Solid Waste Management officials said that fines will be imposed on bulk waste generators who are not composing wet waste.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

Cracking the whip on errant apartment complexes, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike slapped fines on residential buildings in many parts of Bengaluru for not composting wet waste inside their premises. Taking to Twitter, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said, “We started with Radhakrishna Temple Ward 18. A fine of Rs 1,70,000 has been levied on Sterling Apartments there, and Rs 3,75,000 on Raheja Pebble Bay for failing to follow in situ composting rules.” The apartments are located near New BEL Road and RMV stage 2 respectively. Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management Department, said that over 10 other apartments across Bengaluru had been fined, and the tentative total amount was up Rs 32 lakh/ Further, Solid Waste Management Department officials said that this crackdown will continue over the next few days to ensure that apartments follow the rules. According to norms, apartments in Bengaluru have to do in-situ composting if they produce 100 kg or more of garbage in a single day. These apartments are considered as bulk waste generators -- similar to hotels and other commercial establishments. Other than this, smaller apartment complexes and individuals compost their wet waste voluntarily. Earlier in October 2018 then opposition MLA Ashwath Narayan CN (currently Deputy Chief Minister) had campaigned for asking the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to waive the solid waste management cess for households that compost organic waste on their own. The solid waste management cess is collected by the BBMP as part of property tax, and amounts to Rs 160-Rs 600 per household unit, depending on the size of the property. Ashwath argues that removing the cess will encourage sustainable measures like in-situ composting and recycling, thus bringing down the burden on BBMP

Body 2:

Karnataka State Cricket Assoc member Sudhindra Shinde arrested in KPL betting scam

Bengaluru cops pose as passengers, collect Rs 8 lakh in fines from errant auto drivers

Karnataka HC issues notice to state govt over appointment of Upa Lokayukta

'Gauri Lankesh murder reinforced threat to women journos': Journalist Nupur Basu

Imagine Dragons lead singer praises Bengaluru school choir's rendition of 'Believer'

Voting begins in Karnataka's 15 Assembly segments

Bengaluru Airport to open its second runway on Thursday: Five things to know

Karnataka bye-polls live updates: Crucial test for ruling BJP as polling begins

Bengaluru man orders pizza through an app, ends up losing Rs 95,000 in online scam

Man arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly sexually assaulting ex-girlfriend in hotel room

Hyderabad woman dies after moving car catches fire in Karnataka’s Bidar

While we were laughing at his videos, how Nithyananda's dangerous cult kept growing

Two weeks into launch, bus priority lane in Bengaluru shows signs of success

Ex-Congress MP from Karnataka gets re-elected to Rajya Sabha on BJP ticket

Karnataka byepolls: Exit polls predict BJP will continue in power

Bengaluru Airport defers commencement of operations on second runway

Bengaluru ACP allegedly slaps journalist, Commissioner promises inquiry

Didn't give Nithyananda refuge, he could have gone to Haiti, says Ecuador

‘Katha Sangama’ review: This anthology film is a mixed bag

Bengaluru civic body imposes Rs 32 lakh fine on apartments for not composting garbage