EC team seizes cash, gold worth Rs 19 cr in Bellary

Bellary/Bangalore, Apr 13: The ''Republic of Bellary'' once again lived up to its dubious distinction as a one-time illegal mining haven, with a huge haul of cash, financial instruments and valuables worth Rs 18.80 crore in three separate raids in the last 24 hours.

Also, explosives allegedly meant for booth capturing were recovered from a warehouse.

Breaking their previous record of seizing Rs 1.5 crore cash in Bellary, Election Commission 's flying squad, district administration, the police and Income Tax sleu¬ths recovered Rs 8.76 crore cash from the office and residence of one Ramesh Parashuram Puriya alias Chor Babulal. Further search unearthed Kisan Vikas Patras of Rs 4.3 crore value, uncashed cheques worth Rs 5 crore and unaccounted gold biscuits.

“The total recovery of cash and other material from Puriya 's house is worth Rs 17.18 crore. He is a local financier who is learnt to have been active in mining business,” V Ponnuraj, Officer on Special Duty in the office of Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer said in Bangalore. Ponnuraj said it is suspected that the cash recovered from Babulal 's house may contain fake currency, which the I-T sleuths were verifying. A case under Sections 171 and 188 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.

Reports from Bellary said the recovery of campaign material reportedly belonging to BJP candidate B Sriramulu from a local leader 's house has set district election officials verifying the claims.

District Election Officer Aditya Amalan Biswas said, apart from cash and cheques, documents pertaining to land were also found. The residences of Babulal 's son Shrikanth and daughter Prakruthi were also raided and currency notes of various denominations seized.

Besides, a large cache of explosives were seized from a godown belonging to Puriya. I-T officials interrogated Puriya.

Based on a tip-off, another raid in Hospet yielded Rs 1.2 crore kept in a SUV and Rs 22 lakh from the house of the vehicle owner. A third raid on a house in Bellary led to Rs 20 lakh haul.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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