Gowda on cash-for-vote: What if MLAs asked for money? They need it for polls!

June 4, 2016

Bengaluru, Jun 4: In a shocking admission, former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Deve Gowda said that corruption is part of Indian politics and questioned what was the big deal in his party members asking for money to vote.

“Don't unnecessarily go on harassing as if you are going to clean up the system in this country... In this country politics itself involves corruption," Mr Gowda told news channels, whose sting operation exposed four Karnataka MLAs attempt to sell their votes for crores of rupees ahead of Rajya Sabha polls.

The two JD(S) legislators — Mallikarjun Khuba (Basavakalyan), G.T. Deve Gowda (Chamundeshwari) — were shown negotiating for rates ranging from Rs. 5 crore and above for their vote. Two other legislators caught on tape were B.R. Patil (Aland) from the Karnataka Janata Paksha and Varthur Prakash (Kolar), an Independent.

Mr Gowda said that the sting was a political conspiracy against his regional party. He also asked what was the big deal in his party members asking for money to vote..

“They think that JD(S) can be destroyed by this type of foul method?... What if my MLAs asked for money?... MLAs need money to fight elections,” he said.

On the other hand, Mr Gowda's son H?D?Kumaraswamy has termed the sting operation on RS polls “pre-planned.”

Speaking to reporters at Managuli in Vijayapura taluk Mr Kumaraswamy said that the episode had come to light only after the meeting between legislator Zameer Ahmed and Digvijaya Singh, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka.

“We had written to the Election Commission of India last week itself about possibilities of malpractice in the elections. But, the incident has come to light now. There are chances of the ECI deferring the elections, considering the issue seriously,” he said, adding that all the MLAs of the party were taken into confidence while writing to the ECI.

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Mr.Balasubramanian, without knowing should not comment about anyone and also he was our prime minister, we should respect them and their values. read about devegowda and try to know what he has done for Farmers when he was PM.
he had done so many progressive work and well you can read his life history book which contains all his achievements....

What for the politicians contest polls?to enrich their family or serve people?.What have these politicians done for people,can they name any benefit passed on to people.whereas these politicians are worth in crores.Devegowda was really fooled by congress by offering the PM's chair to feel and then drag him down,what he did was made ragi mudde famous,which he was taking for diabetes!

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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‘Profit’ trap: Mangaluru trader duped of ₹33.1 lakh in online App scam

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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