Graft case: Former Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao gets interim bail

November 29, 2016

Bengaluru, Nov 29: A Lokayukta special court on Monday granted interim bail to former Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao in the extortion and corruption case.

Justice Rao had moved an application seeking interim bail to attend his mother's death ceremony. The Lokayukta special court had issued summons to Justice Rao after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed cases of extortion and corruption, had filed an additional charge sheet against him.

Justice Rao's son Yerabati Ashwin is the main accused in the case. The High Court had rejected Justice Rao's petition seeking quashing of the additional charge sheet and also the issuance of summons against him.

Former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Rao, arrived on the court premises at Mayo Hall on M G Road in a car with his advocates. He walked straight towards the court room on the ground floor amid police security. Justice Rao stood in the accused box for some time and was later allowed to sit, considering his age.

The advocates appearing for Justice Rao moved an application seeking regular bail in the case. When the Special Public Prosecutor appearing for the SIT sought time to file objections, the advocates moved another application for interim bail.

The Lokayukta court judge D T Devendra granted Justice Rao interim bail and posted the next hearing to November 30. The SPP, appearing for the SIT, was directed to file objections by November 30.

The SIT, which probed the cases of extortion and corruption within the Lokayukta institution, had filed the additional charge sheet naming Justice Rao as an accused.

Earlier, the SIT had filed the main charge sheet in the first case, pertaining to extortion and demand for bribe from M N Krishnamurthy, former executive engineer, zilla panchayat (Bengaluru Urban).

Justice Rao's son Ashwin and former Lokayukta public relations officer Syed Riyaz
are the prime accused in this case.

In the additional charge sheet, Justice Rao was named accused number seven in the case. The SIT has pressed charges of abetment, destroying of evidence and attempting to protect his son Ashwin, who ran the extortion racket from both the office and the residence of the Lokayukta.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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