Dalit man's thumb chopped off by upper caste Hindus after his 8-yr-old son’s tennis ball enters playground; 2 held

Mangaluru: A 43-year-old city resident has lost more than ₹2 crore in a long-running online investment racket, after falling prey to conmen who promised to double his money through a “safe” trading platform.

According to the complaint filed at the City Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station, the victim’s ordeal began on May 1, 2022, when he received a WhatsApp message from a man named Ankit, posing as an employee of a reputed investment firm.

Ankit lured the victim with claims of guaranteed double returns and later introduced three alleged associates — Sumit Jaiswal, Kushagar Jain, and Akhil — who, he said, handled overseas investments for higher profits.

To win the victim’s trust, the scammers first asked him to invest ₹3,500 and quickly returned ₹1,000 as “profit.” Tempted by the apparent success, the complainant went on to invest increasingly larger sums over several months — transferring funds from his own accounts as well as those of his wife, uncle, and niece.

Between May 2022 and August 2025, he allegedly transferred over ₹2 crore through UPI and IMPS transactions to multiple accounts linked to the accused.

The scam unravelled when all communication from the group abruptly stopped. When the victim finally reached Ankit, he was told that the other three had “cheated” him and vanished. Later, the trio reportedly contacted the complainant, issuing death threats and warning him not to approach the police.

Alarmed, he shared the ordeal with his family and lodged a complaint with the CEN police, who are investigating the matter.

Bengaluru, Nov 10: The Directorate of Census Operations, Karnataka, has launched a door-to-door pre-census trial exercise today (November 10) ahead of the national Census 2027, to test digital systems and field processes before the full-scale enumeration.

The trial is being carried out in three select locations across the state to identify areas needing improvement in logistics, data collection, and digital implementation. These include 46 villages in Supa, Joida taluk (Uttara Kannada district); 27 villages in Gundlupet taluk (Chamarajanagar district); and JP Ward in Bengaluru North City Corporation.

The upcoming Census 2027 will be conducted in two stages — the first between April and September 2026 (with states free to choose their exact 30-day window), and the second between February and March 2027.

Organised by the Directorate of Census Operations / Citizen Registration under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the census will, for the first time, combine physical and digital data collection, along with a self-enumeration option that allows citizens to submit details online.

A pilot run held from November 1–7, 2025, covered around 1,100 households across selected areas.

Explaining the need for the trial, Aswini Kumar, Deputy Director, Directorate of Census Operations, Karnataka, told The New Sunday Express that while the 2010 census was conducted entirely through physical forms, the 2027 edition marks a major shift to digital data entry.

“This time, the census is both physical and digital. To ensure a smooth process, we’re conducting trial runs,” Kumar said. “We’re aware that some regions like Gundlupet and Joida have poor internet connectivity due to forest cover, while Bengaluru poses a different challenge with a highly mobile population and higher digital literacy. Hence, different approaches are being tested.”

The Directorate has finalised a 34-question schedule, covering topics such as fertility, employment, caste, housing, and other demographic details.

With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) poised to return to power in Bihar with an overwhelming majority, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday echoed the “vote chori” (vote theft) allegation raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that similar irregularities occurred in Karnataka as well.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had earlier accused the BJP-led NDA of engaging in “vote chori” in Haryana and Karnataka. Siddaramaiah backed the allegation but offered no specific details.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister admitted that he was still unaware of the factors behind the Congress–RJD alliance’s setback in Bihar and the NDA's strong performance.

“We have to accept the mandate of the people. I don’t know what caused the setback. I had not gone to Bihar. I don’t know who didn’t vote for us or why the NDA won with such a big majority. I will try to find out,” Siddaramaiah said.

Responding to a question on why OBC voters in Bihar did not favour the Congress despite being a decisive bloc, Siddaramaiah countered: “I don’t know. Who is Nitish Kumar? Isn’t he OBC?”

When asked again about the Congress’s allegation of “vote chori,” he remarked, “They have done chori here too,” but refrained from elaborating.

According to the latest trends, the NDA is on course to cross the 200-seat mark in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.