Upright IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri shunted out for trying to prevent misuse of funds?

News Network
September 24, 2019

Bengaluru, Sept 24: Upright IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, who was the secretary of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, was shunted out after she strongly resisted the attempts to misuse funds meant for upliftment of labourers, according to sources.

35-year-old Sindhuri was transferred by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa led BJP government on September 20. Labour Commissioner K G Shantaram has been given concurrent charge of the Board, while Sindhuri has not been given a new posting. Yediyurappa himself holds the labour portfolio.

The Board has a corpus of about Rs 8,000 crore, which is mostly through labour cess of 1% that is levied on all construction projects — government or private. Sindhuri was taking steps to streamline the Board’s expenditure, what with only about Rs 800 crore spent in the last eight years.

But according to sources, Sindhuri was under pressure to spend these funds in ways that could have led to pilferage. These claims were corroborated by a senior IAS officer who said was aware of the reasons behind Sindhuri's transfer.

For instance, Sindhuri was asked by one senior IAS officer to award various works of the Board to the state-run Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Keonics) without following the tendering process. Sindhuri insisted on choosing service providers from the open market through a tendering process, given that Keonics was found to have an uninspiring track record in implementation of projects, sources said.

One such project that Sindhuri was expected to hand over to Keonics was a six-digit, 24/7 helpline dedicated to labour welfare. On August 30, Labour Secretary P Manivannan urged Sindhuri to expedite the helpline project.

Sindhuri was also under pressure to divert a portion of the Board’s funds towards flood relief. Sources said Sindhuri was initially asked to part with Rs 3,000 crore — and then Rs 1,000 crore — to distribute food packets, furniture and lighting in flood-hit areas.

Internally, Sindhuri argued that the Supreme Court monitored the use of the cess money and that there were clear guidelines on how it should be spent. Sindhuri was worried that without a proper system in place, money given to flood relief could be misused.

Sindhuri’s transfer came at a time when the Board was all set to launch mobile creches for children of construction workers across 100 locations in Bengaluru.

Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar said the government was aware of the concerns expressed over Sindhuri's transfer. Earlier, the 2009-batch officer, as Hassan deputy commissioner, locked horns with the then ministers A Manju and H D Revanna because she reportedly did not toe their line.

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News Network
September 25,2024

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In a significant development, a special court tasked with handling cases against Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MP/MLAs) has ordered that a First Information Report (FIR) be filed regarding the Muda case.

Additionally, the Karnataka Lokayukta, which is an anti-corruption body, has been tasked with investigating allegations against Siddaramaiah, who is reportedly involved in the case.

The court instructed the Lokayukta (an anti-corruption authority) to provide a report within three months. It also ordered the relevant authorities to file a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the case.

Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat issued the directive, compelling the Mysuru Lokayukta police to commence an investigation following a formal complaint lodged by Snehamayi Krishna. 

The Karnataka Lokayukta in Mysuru is required to carry out the investigation under Section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which mandates the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).

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News Network
September 24,2024

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Mangaluru, Sept 24: A blanket of gloom descended over Dakshina Kannada and Udupi as heavy rains battered the coastal Karnataka districts on Tuesday. Substantial rainfall has been drenching the region since Monday, intensifying as the day progressed.

In Dakshina Kannada, torrential downpours began early Tuesday, followed by overcast skies and humid conditions. 

The showers persisted intermittently through the afternoon, with areas like Beltangady experiencing moderate rainfall, while Puttur and Bellare bore the brunt of heavier storms. 

Overnight showers were reported in Bantwal, and Mangaluru city, along with its surrounding rural areas, witnessed a steady increase in rainfall, peaking by the evening.

After a brief respite, the return of intense rainfall has brought a welcome drop in temperatures. In Udupi, Karkala, Udupi city, Kundapur, and Hebri taluks all faced substantial rains throughout the day, continuing from late Sunday night.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the coastal districts, predicting more heavy rainfall in the coming hours. 

A yellow alert has been placed for Wednesday, signaling the likelihood of additional downpours. Fishermen have been cautioned to remain vigilant, as the possibility of strong winds looms over the coastal waters.

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News Network
September 28,2024

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Bengaluru, Sep 28: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges against arrested Karnataka BJP MLA N. Munirathna Naidu, including allegations of rape, honey-trapping, and other offences, on Saturday conducted raids at his residence and 15 other locations across the city.

Sources confirmed that the raids were taking place at his Vyalikaval residence and other properties owned by the BJP MLA. The operation is being conducted by the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by ACP Kavitha.

The team is examining documents, electronic devices, and other materials related to the rape and honey-trapping case. The SIT is being supported by experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with Superintendent of Police (SP) Sowmya Latha also participating in the search and inspection at Munirathna’s Vyalikaval residence.

According to sources, the raids were triggered by information provided by the victim, who alleged that Munirathna recorded footage of sexual assaults and used it to blackmail politicians and public servants, including IAS and IPS officers.

The victim reportedly revealed that she was used to entrap the woman who had lodged a rape case against a senior IFS officer. She was allegedly instructed to frame the rape victim in a drug peddling case.

The complainant told police that she was tasked with capturing compromising videos of the rape victim who had filed the case against the IFS officer. She claimed that, after several failed attempts to obtain the videos, the victim was drugged with sleeping pills, and obscene footage was recorded without her consent. Later, the IFS officer was bailed out from the charges.

Furthermore, the complainant has accused MLA Munirathna of raping her at his office within the state legislature, in his official vehicle, and at his godown. She has alleged that he recorded videos of these assaults.

Police sources also revealed that the victim in the MLA's case provided details of a plot involving sending HIV-infected women to Munirathna's targets in an attempt to ruin them politically and personally. She also disclosed the names of several politicians whom she had entrapped through honey-trapping.

The woman further claimed that Munirathna had threatened to have her son kidnapped and killed if she refused to comply with his demands. According to her, the MLA had a well-organised team dedicated to carrying out these honey-trapping operations, and she provided details about his close associates and relatives involved in the scheme.

Munirathna, who was in judicial custody following his arrest in the rape and honey-trap case, has now been taken into the custody of the SIT.

The MLA was transferred from Bengaluru Central Jail to the CID office on the night of September 24. The BJP legislator, however, has denied all the allegations, claiming they are false.

Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Suresh had alleged that Munirathna was trying to infect his adversaries with HIV and that the government should investigate the matter.

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