BJP MLA Virupakshappa named accused No. 1 after raids unearth cash worth over Rs 8-cr

News Network
March 3, 2023

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Bengaluru, Mar 3: A Karnataka BJP MLA has been named as the main accused after an eye-popping mountain of cash worth over ₹ 8 crore was found in searches at his home and office and his bureaucrat son was caught accepting a bribe, officials said on Friday, in a huge embarrassment for the party trying to woo voters for elections later this year.

The anti-corruption wing of the Lokayukta - the state's ombudsman - dug out ₹ 6 crore in cash at the home of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa and ₹ 1.75 crore from his office after his son Prashanth Madal was caught taking a bribe on Thursday. According to sources, the MLA is untraceable and has applied for a pre-arrest bail. The search went on till late in the night.

Madal Virupakshappa, the MLA from Channagiri in the Davanagere district, was the chairman of the state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which makes the famous Mysore Sandal Soap. He stepped down this morning as the scandal broke. His son is the chief accountant at Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

"There is some conspiracy against my family. I'm submitting resignation under moral responsibility as there is an allegation against me," Mr Virupakshappa said in a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

On Thursday, Karnataka Lokayukta officers caught Mr Virupakshappa's son at the KSDL office while taking a bribe of ₹ 40 lakh and arrested him. At least three bags of cash were found at the office, which has also been seized, officials said.

"The anti-corruption branch of Lokayukta yesterday caught Prashanth Madal, son of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa while taking a bribe of ₹ 40 lakh. Over ₹ 1.7 crore in cash was recovered from his office," the Karnataka Lokayukta said.

The ombudsman said they had been tipped off by a complaint about Prashanth Madal, a 2008-batch Karnataka Administrative Services officer, demanding a ₹ 81-lakh payoff from a contractor for a deal for raw materials need to manufacture soap and other detergents.

"A case was registered. On the basis of that, we laid the trap. Five persons have been arrested, including three people who had turned up with the bribe. [The role of the BJP MLA] is being investigated. There is no pressure from the government," Lokayukta BS Patil said.

Chief Minister Bommai said the ombudsman will conduct an independent investigation. He also attacked the opposition Congress.

"We have re-established Lokayukta to curb corruption. During the Congress regime, with Lokayukta dissolved, a lot of cases were closed. We will investigate the cases which were closed. Lokayukta is an independent institution and our stand is clear. The institution will investigate independently, and we will not interfere in it," he said.

The Karnataka BJP's efforts to win another term, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda's frequent visits to the state and lavish announcements, have been countered by accusations of corruption in the state government.

The opposition has accused Mr Bommai's administration of instituting a common rate of kickbacks and dubbed it the "40 per cent" government.

"The loot of #40PercentSarkara continues unabated... caught red-handed taking ₹ 40 lakh bribe, Now ₹ crore recovered from BJP MLA's son's house. Father chairman, son takes money! Cozy Corrupt nexus of BJP!" Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

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News Network
September 16,2024

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The Israeli regime is recruiting African asylum seekers to kill Palestinians in the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in exchange for permanent residency status, according to a report.

The report, ran by the Israeli paper Haaretz on Sunday, revealed that the project is conducted in an organized manner, with the guidance of military establishment legal advisers.  

In Gaza, the death toll passes 41,200 with close to 100,000 more injured in almost a year since the Israeli regime forces launched their genocidal war. However, the continued violence is prompting some Jewish Israelis to leave the occupied Palestinian land.

To make up for the loss, Tel Aviv is offering the incentive of permanent residency status to asylum seekers who agree to join the Israeli regime forces ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Haaretz has learned that some people have expressed objections to the practice, arguing that it exploits people who have fled their countries due to war. However, according to those sources, these voices have been silenced.

“This is a very problematic matter,” one source was quoted as saying by Haaretz.

According to the report, there are currently some 30,000 African asylum seekers living in the occupied territories, most of them young men. Around 3,500 are Sudanese citizens with temporary status granted by the court because the regime has not processed and ruled on their applications.

Unnamed sources who spoke with Haaretz also revealed that while there were some inquiries about granting status to asylum seekers who assisted in the genocidal war in Gaza, none were actually given status.

Haaretz also learned that the Interior Ministry explored the possibility of drafting the children of asylum seekers, who were educated in schools in the occupied territories, into the Israeli military.

In the past, the regime allowed the children of foreign workers to serve in the military in exchange for granting status to their immediate family members.

African refugees, who came to the occupied territories seeking asylum, were previously kept in internment camps and deported without their own consent.

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News Network
September 20,2024

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, private universities in Karnataka offering professional courses will no longer conduct separate entrance exams. This decision follows a directive from the state’s Higher Education Department, prompting private universities to form an association and agree to this significant change.

In a recent meeting with Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar, representatives from 17 private universities confirmed their decision to discontinue individual entrance tests. Of the 27 private universities in the state, 17 offer professional courses, and they have collectively agreed to accept scores from existing national or state-level entrance exams.

“Some universities will consider JEE scores, others will rely on KCET, and a few are inclined towards COMEDK,” Dr. Sudhakar stated, leaving the choice of examination to the universities themselves. However, the department has also suggested that the universities consider a unified entrance test for admissions.

Looking ahead, Dr. Sudhakar hinted that the government may introduce a common entrance test for general degree courses at private universities as well. "As government colleges and universities currently don’t require entrance exams for general degree courses, we haven’t made any decisions on this yet," he explained.

The meeting also addressed concerns over the high fees charged by private universities. To regulate this, the universities were instructed to establish fee fixation committees, headed by retired judges, as required by law. These committees will be responsible for determining tuition fees. Additionally, the government will continue to regulate fees for 40% of seats in professional courses that are filled through KCET.

In an effort to bring greater uniformity among private institutions, the government is considering enacting a common law for all private universities, which would replace the individual acts currently governing each university. This would place all private universities under a single regulatory framework.

This move is expected to streamline the admissions process and create a more standardized system for both professional and general degree programs across Karnataka's private universities.

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News Network
September 12,2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to CJI D Y Chandrachud's house for Ganesha puja celebrations has raised doubts in the mind of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who questioned whether he would deliver 'justice' in the ongoing case the party has in the Supreme Court, given that the PM is the other party in the case.

Speaking to ANI, Raut said "Ganpathi festival is going on, people visit each other's houses. I don't have info regarding how many houses PM visited so far...but PM went to CJI's house and they together performed 'Aarti'."

He said that a custodian of the Constitution meeting politicians could raise doubts in the minds of people.

"In our case, other party is the central govt...Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the case is openly visible," Raut continued.

He also raised questions if the CJI be able to give them justice in the case. "We are getting dates after dates and an illegal govt is going on...Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way...we are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them," the Sena (UBT) leader continued.

Raut alleged that a doubt had been formed in Maharashtra's mind given the 'bond' the PM and the CJI seem to share.

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