LuLu Yusuff Ali gets fancy car number for just Rs 2,000!

January 14, 2017

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 14: Like how fortune proverbially favours the reckless, it seems a billionaire has to only covet something and it comes to him dirt cheap. At the much-awaited auction of new 'CA' series of vehicle registration numbers, the fancy number KL-CA 01 was bid and won by M A Yusuff Ali for, hold your breath, just Rs 2,000.

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Only three bidders participated in the auction held at the Thiruvananthapuram regional transport office last week for registration number KL 01. While Yusuff Ali -- managing director of LuLu Group International who features in Forbes India Rich List 2016 -- quoted Rs 2,000, the other bids were for Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000.

According to MVD officials, it was the cheapest amount quoted for the much sought-after registration number '01' in the recent past. The officials were expecting an impressive bidding for the series and thus more revenue for the department. Last year, KL 01 BX was auctioned at Rs 10.01 lakh and KL 01 BY at Rs 7.5 lakh. However, KL BZ 01 was auctioned for just Rs 6000.

In fact, those who bid after Yosuff Ali didn't share his luck -- CA 02 was auctioned for Rs 26,000 and CA 03 was auctioned for Rs 1.25 lakh. But, CA 05 could fetch only Rs 1,500 and CA 09 just Rs 1,000.

"As it was a fancy number and had good demand, we expected a minimum of Rs 10 lakh. But, we were surprised that the other contestants left the bid midway without offering higher quotes than Rs 2,000," said an MVD official.

Officials suspect the role of middlemen who, unknown to the bidders themselves, 'arrange' for under-pricing certain bids. While an original bidder like Yusuff Ali ends up paying a big amount, middlemen with help from low level-officials in MVD ensure that the fancy number concerned is auctioned for a very low amount, thus allowing them to pocket the rest of the money.

"The registered vehicle owners or their representatives may have made settlement before the bidding process begins. Similar suspicious cases have been reported elsewhere too, where a certain fancy number is auctioned at a far lower amount than expected. An enquiry will be conducted on suspicious cases in the auction process. With the launch of e-auction process the system will become transparent," said transport commissioner S Aanantha Krishnan.

When contacted, the office of Yusuff Ali said they are in the process of registering a few vehicles in Thiruvananthapuram RTO. The official said the company followed due process of law in all such deals and sought more time to provide exact details of the registration in question.

Also Read: This NRI business tycoon in Dubai buys number plate for Rs 60 crore!

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May 1,2024

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday attacked the BJP over the obscene video case in Hassan district by questioning who gave the accused Prajwal Revanna a visa to go abroad. He also hit out at Union Minister Amit Shah asking why did he gave a ticket to Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal, who is the accused in the sex scandal case. 

He alleged that former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda planned the escape of his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna abroad. 

“Who gives passport and visa for travelling abroad? It’s the Centre. Can he go without the Centre’s knowledge? It was former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who planned and sent him abroad,” the Chief Minister said.

"Prajwal pen drives case is not related to DCM DK Shivakumar. Why did Amit Shah give a ticket to the accused of a sex scandal?" he questioned.

Siddaramaiah also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to direct the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel the Diplomatic Passport issued to Prajwal Revanna and ensure his return to face the law.

Prajwal is accused in an alleged sex scandal which is under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government. He is believed to have escaped to Germany shortly after polling in the first phase of elections in the state got over on April 26, in which Prajwal was the JD(S)-BJP combine's candidate from Hassan. 

The Karnataka CM said that SIT will conduct an investigation in a transparent manner in the case.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah wrote on X, "The government has decided to form a special investigation team in connection with Prajwal Revanna's obscene video case. Obscene video clips are circulating in Hassan district, where it appears that women have been sexually assaulted."

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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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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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