Police scotches speculation over ultras taking refuge in Bangalore

Bangalore City Police Commissioner Neelam Achyuta Rao has scotched speculations over the ultras behind for the serial blasts in Mumbai taking refuge in Bangalore.

Participating in a function organised to felicitate traffic wardens in Bangalore on Sunday, Neelam Achyuta Rao denied that the security agencies had any clue about terrorists holed up in Bangalore.

He also sought to clarify that the no police team from outside the State visited Bangalore to question suspects. “No police team from either Delhi or Mumbai have visited Bangalore after the blasts”, he said.

The Bangalore City Police Commissioner’s clarification comes in the wake of rumours that militants were hiding in Bangalore after executing blasts in Mumbai and police teams from Delhi and Mumbai were scouring the City for them. Media reports had also cited how Sivarasan alias one-eyed Jack had found Bangalore to be a safe haven after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1992.

However, he said the police in Bangalore has been put on an alert and the security personnel were keeping a vigil. “We have given instructions to land lords to verify the antecedents of the tenants and keep the police informed as a matter of security”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Government has directed the police to maintain special vigil at shopping malls, which are teeming with shoppers, besides public buildings like the Vidhana Soudha - the State Secretariat.

The Government of India has instructed authorities in Bangalore to spruce up security at the shopping malls, which had mushroomed in different parts of the City. “Intelligence reports had suggested that shopping malls could be a soft target for the terrorists”, a senior police official said.

The police officials had sounded out the shopping mall owners on the need to strengthen security. The shopping mall owners had been invited to a meeting with police officials in Bangalore on July 19.

Santosh Hegde is new Lokayukta in Karnataka

Retired Supreme Court Judge Justice N Santosh Hegde has been appointed as the new Lokayukta or provincial ombudsman of Karnataka to check the growing menace of corruption.

Santosh Hegde, who is currently serving as Chairperson of Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal in New Delhi, is expected to take charge as the Lokayukta by the end of this month.

Santosh Hegde, 66, will succeed Justice N Venkatachala, who carried out a series of raids against Government officials in different parts of Karnataka and unearthed billions of rupees of ill-gotten wealth amassed by them illegally.

Though there was immense pressure on Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to give Venkatachala a second term, the Government decided against extending his term citing the Lokayukta Act and decided to appoint Santosh Hegde as the new Lokayukta.

Santosh Hegde told reporters he would like to continue the good work of his predecessor. “But, I will do it in a different manner”, he said. Santosh Hegde too was in favour of the Government providing the institution of Lokayukta more powers to deal with corruption effectively. “For, instance, Lokayukta needs its own prosecutor like the CBI has”, he said.

Karnataka’s madrassas pitch in aid to children orphaned in Mumbai blasts

More than 300 madrassas in Karnataka under the Anjuman E Madaris, Karnataka, have come forward to offer financial aid to the children orphaned during the recent blasts in Mumbai, which claimed more than 200 lives.

The Anjuman E Madaris, Karnataka, has already identified six Hindu, four Christian and ten unidentified orphaned children for aid. A ten-member team from the association, which is already in Mumbai, is holding talks with the authorities to collect data on more such children, according to Founder of Anjuman E Madaris, Karnataka, Amjad Hussain Hafiz.

The association was identifying orphaned children with a view to provide them financial support that will focus on their education. The association’s team was meeting local Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to work out their rehabilitation at their respective community centers, the cost of which will be borne by Anjuman E Madaris, Karnataka.

Amjad Hussan Hafiz told reporters that the orphaned children will be rehabilitated at ashrams, missionaries and madrassas based on the religion to which they belonged. The team members are scheduled to return to Bangalore from Mumbai on Sunday. “After their return, we will scrutinize the reports about the orphans and work out a rehabilitation package for each orphan”, he said.

Though the team has already identified twenty children, who had been orphaned in the blasts that rocked Mumbai on July 11, the number of beneficiaries is expected to go up as the process of collecting data has not been completed.

Meanwhile, the volunteers of Anjuman E Madaris, Karnataka, have fanned out in different parts of Karnataka to collect donations from philanthropists and raise money for the cause.

Another Bangalore-based Muslim organization – Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Mahaz – is also contemplating offering help to the blast victims through its Millat Relief Trust. Many Muslim organizations in Bangalore and rest of Karnataka have severely condemned the bloody attack on train commuters of Mumbai and the urged the Government to trace the culprits and take exemplary action against them.

Karnataka’s luxury train to boast of health club and massage parlours

Karnataka’s much-awaited luxury train, modelled on the lines of the famed Palace on Wheels of Rajasthan, will boast of a health club and massage parlours when it rolls out of Bangalore next year.

Disclosing this to reporters, Karnataka Government’s Tourism Secretary I M Vittal Murthy said the eighteen-compartment train, which accommodates upto 120 passengers, will be Karnataka’s answer to the envied Palace on Wheels of Rajasthan and Deccan Odyssey of Maharashtra. “But, the health club and massage parlours are unique only to our train”, he said.

The Rs 360 million palatial train, which is expected to become operational by July 2007, will devote eleven compartments to passengers. The rest will feature a multi-cuisine restaurant that will also have local culinary specialities, an Internet centre, an audio-visual centre for recreation, besides a health club and massage parlours.

The interiors of the train, which will chug through the heart of Karnataka covering several places of tourist importance, will reflect the grandeur of the State. “Each room will have different flavours of tourist destinations like Hampi, Belur and Halebid. The lounge bar promises to be on a par with Mysore royalty. There will be both single as well as double beds in the cabins”, he said.

When the train halts at various stations on its six-night and seven-day journey, luxury buses will transport passengers to tourist destinations. The passengers on the luxury train can afford themselves the visual treats places of tourist interest like Mysore, Srirangapatna, Belur, Halebid, Hampi, Badami, Aihole and Dandeli offer.

Interestingly, the route also has Goa on its itinerary as the train journey culminates in Vasco. The passengers on the train can even visit Goa as part of their package.

However, the Tourism Department authorities in Karnataka are yet to find a dazzling name for the luxury train. “We are planning to throw open a contest to elicit fresh ideas. The prize could probably be a free trip on the train’s maiden voyage”, Vittal Murthy said.

BJP legislator retracts bribery charge against Chief Minister

Almost a week after levelling bribery charges against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy retracted his statement that the Chief Minister had collected Rs 1.5 billion from mine owners in Bellary district of the State.

Addressing a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, Reddy, a member of the Legislative Council, said he had merely spoken about the misuse of Chief Minister’s name by the mining lobby. “I meant that day-light robbery was being committed in the name of the Chief Minister”, he said seeking to withdraw his allegation that Kumaraswamy had accepted a bribe of Rs 1.5 billion from mine owners in Bellary district.

Reddy’s allegation had sowed discord between the ruling coalition partners and threatened the JD (S)-BJP Government in Karnataka.

Reddy, who had gone hammer and tongs against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Forest Minister C Chennigappa for accepting a bribe from the mine owners, declined to field any questions from the reporters during the press conference.

BJP Ministers Jagadish Shettary, Katta Subramanya Naidu and Sriramulu hurriedly escorted Reddy out of the press conference venue. It was, however, apparent that Reddy withdrew his allegation in the face of pressure from the BJP leadership. For, he withdrew the allegation soon after his return from New Delhi, where he met senior party leaders.

Bangalore Muslims protest Mumbai blasts, decry terrorism

Hundreds of activists belonging to different Muslim organizations gathered in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bangalore yesterday to register their protest against the Tuesday’s serial blasts in Mumbai.

The activists participated in the silent demonstration and held up posters condemning the bomb blasts in the trains of Mumbai. The protestors described violence against civilians as anti-Islamic and against the dictates of the Holy Quran.

Describing the attack as a blot on India’s secular fabric, legislator Naseer Ahmed said Muslims gathered for the protest had taken an oath to fight terrorism. “We have also taken an oath to oppose oppression of innocent people”, he said.

Member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Qadeer Ahmed Shah, who also participated in the protest, said the goal of the terrorists behind Tuesday’s massacre Mumbai is to disturb communal harmony and weaken the country. “They have no intention other than this”, he said.

Chief priest of a Mosque in Bangalore Maulana Mohammed Haneef Afzar said Muslims and Hindus in various parts of India want to live together. “But, there are certain forces, who do not want Muslims and Hindus to live with peace and harmony. They also can’t stand the progress India is making”, he said.

Representative of Karnataka’ Waqf Welfare Board Zameer Ahmed Khan said terrorists, who were behind Tuesday’s train blasts in Mumbai and grenade attacks in Srinagar, had no religion. “They are neither Hindus nor Muslims. They are enemies of India”, he said.

BJP legislator’s bribery charge against CM puts Karnataka coalition on back-foot

The recent transfer of Pankaj Thakur, a Superintendent of Police from the mining district of Bellary in Karnataka, has snowballed into a major crisis for the coalition Government.

A BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy, who praised the police official for cracking down on illegal mining in the district, triggered discord among the coalition partners when he publicly claimed that the mine-owners had paid off Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy through Forest Minister C Chennigappa.

Reddy claimed that the mine-owners of Bellary had paid a whopping Rs 1.5 billion to the Chief Minister through Chennigappa to secure the transfer of Panjak Thakur, who had not only become a thorn in the flesh of illegal mining activity, but also the scourge of newly inducted Minister for Home M P Prakash.

The BJP legislator’s bribery charge has not only embarrassed the Chief Minister, but also provided cannon fodder for the Opposition Congress during the ensuing session of the State Legislature.

Even as the Opposition is holding up the proceedings of the Legislature by insisting on a CBI probe into the bribery charges, the BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy has become conspicuous by his absence, both at the state legislature as well as at party functions.

Amidst growing demands for the Chief Minister’s resignation on account of the bribery charges, the JD (S) and BJP convened a joint meeting of the two legislature parties at a star hotel in Bangalore on Wednesday night to hammer out the thorny issue and project a united face. But, Mr Janardhan Reddy remained elusive. So was the BJP’s state unit President Sadanand Gowda.

Senior BJP leaders in Karnataka are understood to have brought immense pressure on Janardhan Reddy to retract his allegation against the Chief Minister. But, Reddy, who had claimed to possess documentary proof on the bribery charges, remained firm. In view of the absence of support to his “cause” from the party leaders in Karnataka, Reddy is believed to have air-dashed to New Delhi to consult with party’s central leaders on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has apprehended a threat to the life of the Janardhan Reddy and sought adequate police protection to him. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H K Patil raised the issue during the proceedings of the Legislative Council and urged the Chairman to provide police protection to Janardhan Reddy.

Bangalore on red alert after Mumbai blasts

A red alert has been sounded in Bangalore in the wake of the serial blasts rocking Mumbai on Tuesday evening.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy convened a high level meeting of police officials in Bangalore on Wednesday to review the security arrangements in Karnataka, particularly at the vital defense installations, software companies and business and commercial hubs of Bangalore.

A decision was taken to hold a meeting with representatives from the industry and commerce on July 19 to chart out a plan of action for strengthening security in Bangalore.

Home Minister M P Prakash was also present during the meeting. Kumaraswamy said he held a telephonic talk with Federal Minister for Home Shivaraj Patil on the precautionary steps taken in Karnataka. “He has given some instructions to take precautionary steps at sensitive places”, Kumaraswamy told reporters later.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner Neelam Achuta Rao has said that additional personnel had been kept ready to meet any emergency.

Kumaraswamy directed the Director General of Karnataka Police B S Siyal to step up vigil and security across the state, particularly in areas bordering Maharashtra.

Even as the security forces kept a close watch on the Maharashtra border, the Railway Protection Force remained alert. All the railway police stations across the state have been put on alert. Dog squads had been pressed into service at railway stations and passengers were being frisked. A closed circuit television (CCTV) has been installed at Bangalore railway station.

It may be mentioned here that the authorities in Karnataka are not willing to take any chances particularly in the backdrop of a terrorist attack on scientists at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore during December 2005.

However, Siyal said the state had been put on security alert only as a precautionary measure. “There is no reason to panic”, he said.

Thousands of fish released into lake to check epidemic

With close to 300,000 people in Karnataka laid down by viral fever Chikungunya, the civic authorities in Bangalore released six thousand fish into Madiwala Lake to eat the larva of mosquitoes causing the epidemic.

The Bangalore City Corporation officials said they had released Guppy and Gambusia fish into Madiwala lake to help prevent the spread of Chikungunya in Bangalore. More than 7,000 people in Bangalore alone are suffering from the disease, whose symptoms include fever, redness in the eyes and joint pain.

Bangalore City Corporation’s Deputy Commissioner of Health Manu Baligar told reporters that their experiment of releasing fish into a lake in Bangalore a couple of years ago had paid off when the incidence of vector-borne diseases showed a marked decline.

Release of fish into the Madiwala Lake was one of the steps the authorities had taken to contain the spread of Chikungunya in Bangalore. The authorities were also cleaning up tanks, wells and small ponds, besides carrying out fogging and spraying activities in areas affected by the epidemic.

Chikungunya is a viral fever caused by an alpha-virus that is spread by bites of aedes aegypti mosquito that breed in stagnant water-bodies. Till late last month, a total of 2,86,201 people in the state had been affected by Chikungunya.

Though the initially Chikungunya was reported from northern Karnataka districts of Gulbarga, Bidar, Gadag and Bellary, it has fast spread across the entire state with thousands of cases being reported from southern Karnataka. Kodagu in southern Karnataka is the only district in the State, which has not been affected by the epidemic.

Karnataka Government orders judicial probe into BMIC

The Karnataka Government has decided to order a judicial probe into the controversial Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) and prosecute the Government officials found guilty of colluding with the project promoter Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).

During the course of his marathon reply to a week-long debate in the Legislative Assembly on BMIC, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy described the controversial project as “a land scam unheard of in the history of the State” and set a two-month deadline for the judicial probe to complete.

The Government will file criminal cases against the officials, who had colluded with NICE, he said. Apart from a judicial probe and registration of criminal case against officials colluding with NICE, Kumaraswamy said the Government would reclaim the excess land allotted to the project promoter and return the same to the farmers.

But, the Opposition Congress demanded a CBI probe into the BMIC. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Dharam Singh expressed skepticism over the outcome of the judicial probe and insisted on a CBI probe. “Nothing will come out of the judicial inquiry. We want the CBI to probe the matter”, Dharam Singh said.

When the Chief Minister turned down the Opposition demand for a CBI probe, the entire Opposition trooped out of the House, leading to an adjournment.

Managing Director of NICE Ashok K Kheny, who has already won several court battles against the Karnataka Government, has welcomed the Government decision to hold a judicial probe into the BMIC. “The judicial probe should bring into its ambit the role and conduct of present officials, who are blocking the project”, Kheny said.

Refuting allegations of excess land, Kheny, who is armed with a Supreme Court order for expeditious completion of the BMIC project, said the Government has not even allotted the land cleared in the framework agreement. “The question of allotting excess land does not arise”, he said.

Meanwhile, the progress of work on the BMIC hit a snag on Friday when the Mysore district administration refused permission for NICE to hold a ceremonial bhumi puja on 15 acres of land on the outskirts of the City to mark the start of Mysore leg of BMIC project.

Claiming ownership of the land identified by NICE to start work on the Mysore leg of BMIC project, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) refused to hand over possession of the land to the promoters till the acquisition dues amounting to Rs 8.5 million is cleared.

But, Kheny, who had himself arrived to launch works on the Mysore leg of BMIC project, claimed that NICE had already deposited the required money with Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). “It is their duty to make the payment and facilitate the start of work”, Kheny said.

In view of the demonstrations staged at the project site by pro-BMIC and anti-BMIC groups, the Mysore City police barricaded the area and imposed prohibitory orders on the 15 acres of land to prevent “trespassing” on MUDA land.

Telgi refuses to make confessional statement through videoconferencing

Though he was ready with a 400-page confessional statement, the alleged kingpin in the multi billion rupee fake stamp paper racket Abdul Karim Telgi has refused to divulge its contents through videoconferencing, apprehending a threat to his life.

“I am ready with the confessional statement, but will make it only in Bangalore”, Telgi told the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bangalore through videoconferencing from a jail in Pune, where he is presently lodged.

Holding a bunch of paper sheets, which Telgi claimed contained his confessional statement, the alleged kingpin of the scam feared that the videoconferencing could be tapped, posing a danger to his life. For, his confessional statement would find mention of names of several influential politicians, policemen and others involved in the scam.

Telgi also claimed that the security personnel around him while making a confessional statement were also a threat.

In view of Telgi’s unwillingness to make a confessional statement through videoconferencing, the Chief Metropolitan magistrate hearing the case adjourned the hearing to July 12.

Meanwhile, Telgi’s advocate M T Nanaiah told reporters that an application had been filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking permission for Telgi to depose personally before the Chief Metropolitan magistrate for recording the confessional statement. The High Court will take up the case shortly.

But, the counsel for CBI, which is investigating the case, is of the opinion that Telgi’s refusal to make the confessional statement through videoconferencing is yet another bid by the accused to be taken to Bangalore.

The CBI had earlier argued against Telgi’s physical presence in Bangalore to make the confessional statement.

ISRO to set up navigational satellite system

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun work on establishing an Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS).

According to a press statement from ISRO, the Government of India has approved the implementation of IRNSS over India in the next five to six years at a cost of Rs 12 billion.

“It will consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a large ground segment. The entire IRNSS system will be under Indian control. The system will be developed indigenously and optimized for the specific needs of users in the country”, the statement said.

The IRNSS, which is a satellite-based Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) service, is emerging as an important space application not only for civil aviation, but also in many other areas like mobile telephony, surface transport, intelligent highway system, maritime transport, rail, precision agriculture, fisheries, besides oil and gas.

Pointing out that PNT was an important service available through navigation satellites, the ISRO press release said small hand-held receivers are used to determine the user position anywhere in the world. “Location based service will become as ubiquitous as a mobile phone very soon”, the statement said.

An ISRO official said the Government and ISRO decided to set up the IRNSS as the Global Positioning System (GPS) is not in a position to provide accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability required for life-critical applications of civil aviation.

With the help of IRNSS, fleet operators will be able to improve their operating efficiency. “The system will help track a bus, rail cargo or a water vessel and identify its specific location at any given point of time. Mobile phones will no longer be a signal receiver. With IRNSS, the mobile phones of the future will turn into navigators”, the ISRO official said.

ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI) are also implementing a satellite based navigation system over Indian air space for civil aviation called the “Gagan”.

The preliminary acceptance test for the Gagan, which comprises of a space segment and a ground segment, has just been concluded. “The position accuracies available are good”, the press statement added.

===EoM===

Jaimala refuses to speak to inquiry panel from Kerala

Kannada actress Jaimala, who raised a storm with her confession on entering the Sabarimala Temple, refused to speak to a team of officials from Travancore Devaswom Board, which had arrived in Bangalore from Kerala on a “fact-finding” mission yesterday.

The team of officials led by the Board’s Vigilance Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar had to return empty handed as the actress refused to meet them until she received written communication from the authorities in Kerala.

Jaimala’s claim on entering the Sabarimala Temple and touching the deity of Ayyappa when she was 27 years old has stirred up a hornets’ nest as the revered shrine is kept out of bounds for women aged between 10 and 50 years.

The team from the Board, which manages the affairs of the famous Sabarimala Temple, arrived in Bangalore yesterday in the wake of a notice issued by the Kerala High Court after a writ petition was filed on the controversial entry of a woman into the Sabarimala Temple.

Soon after their arrival in Bangalore, the team met Bangalore City Police Commissioner N Achyuta Rao in his office and sought his co-operation in the successful completion of their mission. Rao deputed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalakrishna to assist the Board officials in their duty.

But, when Bipin Gopalakrishna contacted actress Jaimala, she refused to meet the Board officials. Jaimala and her cinematographer husband Ramachandra maintained that they would not speak to any official unless they received written communication from the authorities in Kerala, Bipin Gopalakrishna told reporters.

Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar said the team had arrived in Bangalore on a “fact-finding” mission and not to conduct an “investigation” into the matter. The team had to submit a report to the Travancore Devaswom Board, which in turn would forward the report to the Government authorities for necessary action.

“If the actress refuses to talk to us, what can we do ? We will submit a report to the Board on whatever happened during our visit to Bangalore”, Ashok Kumar told reporters. The Board is scheduled to meet on July 7 to discuss the report and decide on the type of investigation necessary in the matter, he said.

George Fernandes walks out of hospital in Bangalore before discharge

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes, who was admitted to a private hospital in Bangalore on Tuesday after he complained of breathlessness and chest pain, created a flutter in the political as well as medical circles by walking out of the hospital before his discharge.

George Fernandes, who is also the convener of National Democratic Alliance, was admitted to Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute following breathlessness after his morning exercise. Though the tests showed that the condition of Fernandes was stable, the doctors attending him preferred to keep him under observation in the hospital for 24 hours.

In keeping with the practice of issuing medical bulletin of VIPs patients, the hospital authorities released a statement saying that tests had been performed on Fernandes and his blood pressure and sugar level were normal. “Though his condition is stable, we have decided to keep him under observation for 24 hours”, Interventional Cardiologist Dr Ranganath Nayak said on Tuesday.

But, George Fernandes got up from his bed in the evening and walked out of the hospital, apparently against medical advice. He claimed that he had to keep his appointment with the Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi and call on JD (S) MLA Mahima Patel, the son of late Chief Minister J H Patel.

The Hospital authorities had to rush a battery of doctors and other paramedical staff to accompany Fernandes.

When he bumped into reporters on his way out of the hospital, Fernandes had a different story to tell. He claimed that he came to the hospital to call on former Chief Minister S R Bommai, who had incidentally been admitted for pulmonary oedema in the same hospital.

Outside the hospital, Fernandes told a different set of reporters that he had been to the hospital for a check-up. “But, I will go back to spend the night in the hospital”, he said. When his attention was drawn to the medical bulletin issued by the hospital, Fernandes wondered whether there was anything wrong in coming out of the hospital. “The Governor is a good friend of mine. Mahima Patel is the son of former Chief Minister J H Patel, who was like my twin brother”, Fernandes argued.

However, Mr Fernandes returned to the hospital on Tuesday night and was formally discharged on Wednesday.

Doctors at the hospital expressed surprise over the behaviour of Fernandes. “When he was told on Tuesday evening that his condition stable, he got up saying he had an appointment with the Governor. He just walked out of the hospital without giving us a chance to explain. However, we sent a resident doctor to accompany him as we did not know whether to say that he is being discharged against medical advice or if he would return”, a doctor said.

Landslide claims six lives in Karnataka

Six persons including a child were buried alive in their house in a landslide reported from Madikeri in Karnataka’s Kodagu district during overnight rains.

Though rescue teams reached the disaster site early yesterday, all the six persons in the debris-covered house were found dead. The large quantity of mud, gravel and boulders had rolled onto the ill-fated house located on Virajpet Road in Madikeri.

The authorities announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each for next of kin of the deceased victims and instructed people residing in such “risky” areas to immediately shift to safer places.

Kodagu district has been witnessing a torrential downpour since the last three days, causing widespread havoc and throwing normal life out of gear. With heavy rains uprooting hundreds of trees and electricity poles, many parts of the district remained plunged in darkness.

The district administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions in Kodagu yesterday and today in view of the meteorological department’s warning that rains will intensify in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the heavy rains in interior parts of Karnataka during the last two to three days is fast filling up the reservoirs built across river Cauvery.

With the catchment areas of Cauvery in Kodagu recording more than 211 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours, the water level at KRS and Harangi reservoirs is fast filling to the brim, forcing the authorities to sound an alert to people residing downstream to move to safer places.

The water level at Harangi reservoir had already reached its maximum level of 2,859 feet. The authorities were forced to throw open all the crest gates of the dam, leading to a huge discharge of water.

The downstream KRS reservoir was receiving an inflow of 17,000 cusecs of water and pushing up the water level. Though the water level at KRS stood at 108.18 feet against its maximum of 128.8 feet, authorities feel that the reservoir will be full to the brim sooner than later if the rains continue for a few more days.

The Kabini reservoir too had been witnessing an inflow of more than 25,000 cusecs of water with its catchment area in Wynad receiving heavy rainfall.

The water level in the reservoir had reached its maximum level of 2,284 feet and the authorities had been discharging more than 40,000 cusecs of water from the reservoir since Monday.

A bridge built across the river in H D Kote has been submerged due to discharge of water from the reservoir and movement of vehicles on the route has been banned. The Government authorities have also issued an alert to people residing downstream of the reservoirs to move to safer places with their livestock in view of the likelihood of floods.

Another Kannada actress says she visited Sabarimala

Close on the heels of the furore kicked up by actress Jaimala’s confession on touching the idol of Ayyappa, another veteran Kannada actress Girija Lokesh has revealed that she too visited the famed Sabarimala Temple.

Girija Lokesh told a television channel in Bangalore that she took an all-women team, including her daughter, to the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala during 1987 – the same year when Jaimala claimed to have visited the shrine.

“I was 30 to 35 years when I visited the Temple. My mother-in-law and a few women relatives, including my daughter, who was 12 years then, went to the Sabarimala Temple”, she said.

Unlike Jaimala, Girija Lokesh did not speak about entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Temple. “We went as far as everybody goes”, she said. But, Girija Lokesh expressed skepticism over Jaimala’s claim to have entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Temple and touching the feet of the deity.

Girija Lokesh wondered how Jaimala could have entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Temple, which is surrounded by several priests and other devotees.

The veteran actress was also critical about the discriminative practices at the revered shrine. “A state like Kerala, which has a high rate of literacy, should not be having such discriminatory practices against women”, she said.

It remains to be seen how Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala Temple, reacts to Girija Lokesh’s latest revelations on visiting the abode of the celibate deity.

Kumaraswamy to prove Chamarajanagar jinx wrong

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has promised to visit Chamarajanagar town shortly to disprove the myth that Chief Ministers visiting the “jinxed” town would lose power.

Participating in a videoconference with journalists from across the State, Kumaraswamy said he does not subscribe to the superstitious belief that Chief Ministers visiting Chamarajanagar will lose power. “I will shortly visit the town and remove the superstition that has taken strong roots among politicians”, he told a scribe from Chamarajanagar.

Kumarawamy’s promise to visit Chamarajanagar came after a journalist claimed that developmental works in the district had suffered as successive Chief Ministers had maintained a safe distance from the town in view of the prevailing myth.

It may be mentioned here that successive Chief Ministers have steered clear of Chamarajanagar, located on Karnataka’s border with Tamil Nadu, in view of the widespread belief that any Chief Minister visiting the “jinxed” town would lose power soon thereafter.

It had all begun with late Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs losing his seat soon after visiting Chamarajanagar in the seventies. The superstition gained ground when his successors R Gundu Rao, Ramakrishna Hegde, S R Bommai and Veerendra Patil too met with the same fate after visiting the town.

Thereafter, no Chief Minister including socialites like S Bangarappa and J H Patel and progressives like S M Krishna had consciously shunned Chamarajanagar. Just like Kumaraswamy, his predecessor Dharam Singh too had promised to visit Chamarajanagar. But, Dharam Singh failed to keep the promise. It remains to be seen whether Kumaraswamy will keep his promise and shatters the myth surrounding Chamarajanagar.

Nadeem Kashmiri to undergo polygraph test

The Karnataka police has proposed to subject Nadeem Kashmiri, who is accused of stealing confidential data pertaining to HSBC’s customers to illegally transfer their monies, to a polygraph test to establish the veracity of the statements made by him during the course of his interrogation.

Though Nadeem had confessed to receiving Rs 80,000 from his co-fraudsters in the UK for passing on the confidential information, the Corps of Detective (CoD) of Karnataka police has found out that the accused received around Rs 150,000 from them. “We have to find out whether what he has told us is the truth”, according a CoD official.

The CoD is preparing to subject Nadeem Kashmiri to polygraph or lie-detector test at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Bangalore after seeking necessary permission from the court on Monday.

HSBC officials have accused Nadeem Kashmiri and his accomplices in the UK of defrauding its customers to the tune of 322,000 pounds by stealing confidential information form the bank’s off-shore data processing centre in Bangalore.

“We have found that that he had received upto Rs 150,000 though he claimed to have received only Rs 80,000 through Western Union Money Transfer. But, the amount of money he had received is much more than that. He could have received money through the hawala route also”, a CoD official told reporters

Karnataka Assembly backs actress Jaimala on Sabarimala controversy

The controversy over Kannada actress Jaimala’s entry into Sabarimala Temple echoed in the Karnataka Assembly with several members cutting across party lines questioning the restrictions imposed on womenfolk from entering the shrine.

Soon after Congress member S S Patil raised the issue during zero hour and urged the Karnataka Government to refer the “insult to womanhood” at the famed Temple shrine in neighbouring Kerala to the Federal Government, several members joined the chorus in support of actress Jaimala.

Patil came down heavily on the management of the famed Sabarimala Temple for barring women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the precincts of the shrine. The ban on entry of women into the Temple was tantamount to “untouchability”, he argued.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Kerala Government of discriminating against women, particularly a Kannadiga. “I wonder why Kerala, which claims to be a progressive state, is allowing such retrograde traditions”, he said.

Though JD (U) member J C Madhuswamy pointed out that issue pertained to Kerala Government, Kharge insisted that the matter was sensitive in nature and the Karnataka assembly should take up a discussion on the subject.

CPM member G V Srirama Reddy sought to bring to the notice of the House that Dalits in Karnataka were also not allowed in certain Temples. The Government should take steps against this practice as well, he said.

Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha member Vatal Nagaraj accused the Karnataka Government of treating the matter lightly and staged a walk-out from the House to protest the Government’s attitude in the matter. Claiming that the shrine authorities and the Kerala Government were planning to persecute the actress, Vatal Nagaraj urged the Karnataka Government to extend protection to Jaimala from any attempt to initiate action against her.

In view of the seriousness of the subject, Assembly Speaker Krishna announced that he would allow a discussion on the subject in the Karnataka Assembly when the House convenes on Monday.

Karnataka Government to set up Diaspora Cell

The Karnataka Government has drawn up a grandiose plan to set up a Diaspora Cell aimed at luring investments from Non Resident Indians (NRI), particularly People of Karnataka Origin (PKO).

Apart from setting up a Diaspora Cell, which seeks to take the “brand Bangalore” image to the global market, the State Government is planning to hold an annual Karnataka Pravasi Divas during January every year, according to officials in the Department of Industries and Commerce.

The Karnataka Diaspora Cell will showcase the strides Karnataka had made in various sectors and roll out a red carpet welcome to investors. “As more and more NRIs are keen to invest in various sectors like Information Technology, Tourism, Health and Education, the Diaspora Cell will work as a nodal agency to facilitate them to invest”, an official said.

To start with, the Cell will set up an interactive website for potential investors as well as NRIs, who seek information on investment opportunities in the State. The website will contain the achievements of the state and the potential sectors identified for investment.

The Cell will create and maintain a database of relevant information, besides organizing events and tours by delegations to foreign countries with a significant presence of Indian Diaspora to attract investment.

The Karnataka Pravasi Divas will be organised on the lines of Bharatiya Pravasi Divas every year. During the Karnataka Pravasi Divas, the Government will showcase the cultural glory of the State and give the NRIs attending the event a feeling of “homecoming”.

As Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is scheduled on January 3 and 4 next year, the Karnataka Pravasi Divas will be held from January 5 to 9 to enable the NRIs to attend both the events. During the first Karnataka Pravasi Divas, scheduled from January 5 to 9 next year, the Karnataka Government will honour prominent personalities of Karnataka origin, who have left their footprint in various fields by their achievements.