Dressed in black, Congress MPs protest against price hike, arbitrary GST

Mangaluru, Sept 9: Minister for Medical Education Dr Sharanaparakash Rudrappa Patil said that a tender for the construction of the regional centre of Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences (RGUHS) in Mangaluru will be floated shortly.

Following an appeal by Mangalore City North MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty, the Minister inspected the proposed site for the regional centre at Mary Hill in Mangaluru on September 8.

"Work will commence once the tender is finalised. The MLA said that land for the project has been earmarked. Now, the work has to commence. It is a Rs 40 crore project. The regional centre will have a skill development centre, sports centre and other facilities," Patil said.

The setting up of the regional centre in Mangaluru will benefit students of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts.

RGUHS members Dr Shivasharan Shetty and Dr Sharan Shetty appealed to the minister to complete the work on the regional centre at the earliest. The Minister directed RGUHS Vice Chancellor Dr Ramesh M K to take note of the same. 

New Delhi, Sept 21: Stepping up its crackdown on Khalistani terrorists, the NIA on Wednesday announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of five Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives, including Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias 'Rinda' and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias 'Landa'.

The federal agency announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for Rinda and Landa and Rs 5 lakh each for Parminder Singh Kaira alias “Pattu”, Satnam Singh alias “Satbir Singh” alias “Satta” and Yadvinder Singh alias “Yadda”.

A spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said these five terrorists are wanted in a case registered early this year related to the BKI's terrorist activities aimed at disturbing India's peace and communal harmony and spreading terror in the state of Punjab.

'The wanted terrorists are accused of commission of terror acts and activities, besides raising funds for the BKI, a banned terror outfit, through smuggling of terrorist hardware and narcotics into Punjab and also through extensive extortion from businessmen and other prominent individuals.

'They are also wanted in cases relating to commissioning of targeted killings as well as targeting of law enforcement agencies in order to create an environment of terror in the state of Punjab,' the spokesperson said.

The official said investigations have shown that the five terrorists have been engaged in recruiting new members of the BKI by promising them monetary benefits.

'They have also established a network of operatives in various countries to further their terror activities in different parts of India,” the official said.

Rinda, originally a resident of Maharashtra, is a Pakistan-based 'listed individual terrorist' and member of the BKI, while Landa, Khaira, Satnam and Yadvinder are residents of Punjab.

'Any specific information leading to the arrest of the five wanted terrorists can be shared with the NIA headquarters in New Delhi or the NIA Branch Office in Chandigarh,' the spokesperson said, sharing the telephone and WhatsApp numbers.

Meanwhile, the NIA released two lists of 54 individuals with their photographs who are wanted in the investigation of two cases, registered last year, to dismantle terror-gangster networks in the country.

The lists, one naming 11 persons and the other 43 persons, were shared by the NIA on its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The list included several wanted gangsters, including Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh Gill.

'If you have any information about properties/assets/business owned by them in their name or in name of their associates, friends and relatives, please WhatsApp,” the agency said, sharing the mobile number. 

Bengaluru, Sept 15: The Karnataka High Court has directed the police not to take precipitative action against Aaj Tak news channel's Consulting Editor Sudhir Chaudhary in an FIR filed against him, but said that there was a prima facie case against him, and it should be investigated. The court also said that it would dispose of the petition filed by Chaudhary challenging the FIR and that there was no need for custodial interrogation till then.

The interim order sought by Chaudhary for stay was not granted as the HC ordered the petition to be posted for hearing on September 20. Chaudhary had challenged the FIR lodged at the Seshadripuram police station in Bengaluru after a complaint by Shivakumar S, the Assistant Administrative Officer of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Limited. The single judge bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar who heard the petition observed during the hearing that there was a prima facie case for investigation.

“The specific allegation was that the government is providing a scheme only to minorities and depriving Hindus. There is a prima facie case for investigation,” the HC said. Senior counsel Uday Holla argued the case for Chaudhary. The HC said that the scheme established for minorities by the Minority Development Corporation can be criticised by any person including the media but the case against Chaudhary -- “whether the allegations that news item telecasted by petitioner satisfies essentials of Section 153A IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) -- needs to be examined.” However, in relief for Chaudhary, the HC has said there won't be any custodial interrogation or arrests. “Till Tuesday (Sep 19) don't take any precipitative action. I am going to hear the matter. This matter is to be disposed of. I cannot keep it pending. I need time to hear the matter till Tuesday,” the court said, adjourning the hearing.

Holla argued that the scheme was only for minorities. The HC however pointed out that it was not what was telecast on the news channel. “The average man may develop hatred towards minorities saying they have been given and not me,” observed the HC, which also pointed out the claim in the news report that said “84 per cent (of beneficiaries) come from a specific minority community.” Chaudhary has been booked under Section 153A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complaint had alleged that Chaudhary had conspired to disrupt communal harmony by spreading misinformation on his channel about the Karnataka government’s 'Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme'.

The scheme provides 50 per cent subsidy on bank loans obtained by religious minorities for purchase of commercial transport vehicles up to ₹three lakh. It was alleged that Chaudhary in a news programme on Aaj Tak channel spread misinformation about the government practicing minority appeasement.