Concern over arrest of Dr Imran Ahmed on controversial terror module case

November 30, 2013
Bangalore, Nov 30: Human rights activists have expressed grave concern over the arrest of a Bangalore-based medical doctor on charges of involvement in terror module case, which is suspected to be a joint conspiracy of then BJP-led government of Karnataka and a few hardcore Hindu journalists, who were known for their anti-minority approach.

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Dr. Imran Ahmed alias Immu Bhai, who had been dubbed by the police as one of the 10 absconding accused in the case, was arrested from a premises on Kanakapura Road in the city on Thursday, according to National Investigative Agency (NIA). An NIA court remanded him in police custody on Friday.

According to sources Dr Ahmed was arrested after he returned to the City from West Asia. He was named accused No 22 in the charge sheet filed before a special NIA court on February 20 of this year. The charge sheet calls him an “absconder” and alleges he is a “Lashkar-e-Toiba operative”.

However, the charge sheet is silent on the exact role of Dr Ahmed. It also said that NIA sleuths had no information about his age, address, family background, passport and other details. They only know “he is a native of Karnataka and a doctor”. The charge sheet also states that further investigation was inevitable against all the “absconding” accused, including Dr Ahmed.

The development comes several months after the release of several Muslim youths including a journalist, who had been falsely accused by then BJP government and police of involving in a terror plot to eliminate prominent Hindutva political leaders and some communal journalists. The case has been dogged by controversies since the beginning. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bangalore police had claimed to have arrested 11 youths from Bangalore and Hubli combined on August 29, 2012. Four more youths were also arrested later. The NIA took over the case in the last week of November. Later a few youth, including the alleged mastermind, were released after receiving clean chit from a court. The released youth later stressed they were arrested “only because they were Muslims and their signatures taken on blank papers to extract a confession.”

Dr Usman Ghani Khan, a native of Dharwad, who had also been dubbed as “absconder”, was arrested by the local police in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the CCB's request. But he was released later as the City police could not provide any evidence against him.

Irshad Ahmed Desai of the Association of Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), which has been representing the defence, said the case was “shoddily investigated and many innocents framed”. “The charge sheet mentions the man now arrested (Dr Ahmed) only fleetingly and the agencies themselves don't have any information about him,” he said.

The APCR was trying its best to trace Dr Ahmed's family. No details, however, were available right now; even his address and where he was arrested are not known yet, he added.

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May 14,2024

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Bengaluru, May 14: JD(S) leader HD Revanna has been released from Parappana Agrahara Jail today, on May 14 after he was granted conditional bail. 

He was granted a conditional bail yesterday by a Bengaluru court in connection with a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegation against him and his son Prajwal.

Revanna was arrested on May 4 by Special Investigative Team (SIT) officials in a kidnapping case registered against him at KR Nagar police station in the city. The case is linked to his son and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna’s mega sex scam. 

Representing the JD(S) MLA from Holenarsipura, he termed this case a "political conspiracy" against him.

A SIT, constituted by the Karnataka government, is probing the alleged sexual abuse against against HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna.

Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP, is seeking another term from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency. The voting for the seat took place on April 26.

Earlier, JD (S) chief HD Kumaraswamy alleged that Karnataka government does not want a fair inquiry.

"They are misusing the office. Nothing is going to happen ultimately. They wanted character assassination of HD Revanna and for that reason, they are using their office," Kumaraswamy told ANI.

Meeting Karnataka Governor Tawara Chanda Gehlot on May 9, a delegation of the Janata Dal (Secular) submitted a memorandum and urged Gehlot to recommend a CBI probe.

Prajwal sill absconding

The JD(S) MP, Prajwal, fled to Germany after Karnataka State Commission for Women Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking an investigation into over obscene videos of Prajwal Revanna allegedly sexually abusing several women. He has also skipped summons issued by the SIT to appear before it.

The ‘obscene videos’ involving Prajwal Revanna started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 26, triggering a political slugfest.

A lookout notice against Prajwal Revanna has been issued at all airports in India, along with a Blue Corner notice. A Blue Corner notice issued by Interpol helps countries collect and share information regarding a person's location and their activities as part of a criminal investigation.

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May 6,2024

Mangaluru, May 6: A five-year-old girl from Arendur village of Siddapura taluk of Uttara Kannada district died of Kyasanur Forest Disease (monkey fever) recently.

As her health deteriorated, she was admitted to the KMC Hospital in Mangaluru, where she failed to respond to the treatment and died on Friday night.

It is learned that the KFD is slowly spreading to the newer areas of coastal and malnad areas of Karnataka

According to officials, KFD spreads due to bites of ticks that generally survive on monkeys. This tick bites humans which causes the infection. Humans also contract the disease by coming in contact with cattle bitten by ticks.

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May 4,2024

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Bengaluru: BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde represented Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha segment in Karnataka for six terms and now gynecologist Anjali Nimbalkar is putting up a spirited fight seeking to turn the tide and "deliver" it for the Congress.

Dr Nimbalkar is taking on former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who replaced Hegde, in this BJP stronghold.

A former Congress MLA, she lost the Assembly elections from Khanapur in Belagavi district last year.

The 62-year-old Kageri, a six-term MLA and a former minister, was also defeated in the Assembly polls from Sirsi.

"In the past 30 years, the voice of Uttara Kannada was not spoken and not even a single question was asked in the Parliament," Nimbalkar said in an apparent dig at Hegde.

If elected, she said her focus is to address the local issues related to forest dwellers, getting them 'patra' for their own land -- a battle they have been fighting for long.

Also on her priority list is getting a multispecialty hospital in Kumta as per people's demand, generating employment and focusing on tourism for the overall development of Uttara Kannada.

"Issues related to forest dwellers -- they want a 'patra' for their own land -- we will try and put forth these issues in the first session itself and we will see to it that maximum applications which are pending with the Central government get cleared during the first session itself," she said in an interview.

"So, our thing is that at least 50 per cent of the jobs should be given to the local Kannadigas in the Central schemes which are implemented in the district," she said.

Noting that Uttara Kannada has a combination of both beaches and temples, Nimbalkar said the district can be developed internationally in a much higher scale than "what actually Goa or Kerala is".

The Congress candidate is also banking on the five guarantee schemes launched by the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka and the promises made by party in its manifesto at the national level.

Responding to a question, she expressed happiness that the Congress has fielded a total of six women candidates out of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka.

While campaigning, Nimbalkar said she was overwhelmed to see a large number of people, especially women, turning up for her rallies despite the intense heat in Uttara Kannada.

"They are very happy that the Congress has given a woman candidate and an educated candidate who herself is a doctor and a gynecologist. So they are excited that, yes, she can be our voice in the Parliament who can fight for our rights," the 47-year-old said.

"I have worked as an MLA (Khanapur), so they have seen my work in the Assembly and the expectations are like, yes, she will be the one who will be speaking for us and that faith is seen in their eyes," she said.

Nimbalkar strongly believes that when women enter any field, it brings a different perspective - be it in terms of management, policy formulation or even as homemakers.

Uttara Kannada is among the 14 constituencies going for polls in Karnataka under second phase on May 7.

Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats and the first phase of polling was held on April 26.

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