Tata Coffee in talks to acquire V G Siddhartha’s 12,000 hectares of coffee plantations

News Network
September 25, 2020

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Bengaluru, Sept 25: Tata Coffee has reportedly started negotiations to acquire 12,000 hectares of coffee plantations belonging to Cafe Coffee Day founder V G Siddhartha for Rs 1,200-1,500 crore.

Coffee Day's operations, including personal assets and coffee plantations, is currently being handled by Siddhartha's wife, Malavika Hedge, after he died by suicide last year in August amid allegations that he faced pressure from lenders, a private equity firm and harassed by tax officials.

This development comes on the heels of Tata Consumer Products (TCP) approving an exploration of acquisition of Cafe Coffee Day's vending machine business. CCD is looking for a valuation of about Rs 2,000 crore for the same, a Bloomberg report said.

Siddhartha is believed to have availed loans worth Rs 2,000 from banks like HSBC, Rabo Bank, Lakshmi Vilas Bank, RBL and IndusInd Bank. Some of the lenders have already initiated recovery proceedings against the plantation assests last November.

"Discussions between Tata Coffee and Hedge started in February but were put on hold because of Covid," a source told the publication. "Talks have resumed, though the deal may be in preliminary stages," he added.

A family representative, however, told that the information is speculative and is to be treated as baseless rumours. The representative further stated that none of the lenders have invoked recovery procedings on plantation assets.

Apart from the coffeee plantations, Siddhartha also owned silver oak and timber plantations priced at about Rs 2,000 crore. His personal assets included The Serai Resorts, a luxury hospitality resorts.

Tata group has completed the restructuring of the consumer business and TCP’s joint venture with Starbucks progressing well. Deliberations to acquire the plantations are largely with the view of scaling up Tata Coffee’s land base. TCP holds 57.48 per cent stake in Tata Coffee.

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News Network
May 6,2024

Mangaluru, May 6: A five-year-old girl from Arendur village of Siddapura taluk of Uttara Kannada district died of Kyasanur Forest Disease (monkey fever) recently.

As her health deteriorated, she was admitted to the KMC Hospital in Mangaluru, where she failed to respond to the treatment and died on Friday night.

It is learned that the KFD is slowly spreading to the newer areas of coastal and malnad areas of Karnataka

According to officials, KFD spreads due to bites of ticks that generally survive on monkeys. This tick bites humans which causes the infection. Humans also contract the disease by coming in contact with cattle bitten by ticks.

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News Network
May 10,2024

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A day after National Commission for Women said no woman from Hassan approached the national body to file complaints against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, a new FIR accusing BJP leader Devaraje Gowda of abusing and assaulting a woman has come to light.

The FIR against Gowda was filed by a woman at the Holenarasipura town police station on April 1, after her husband had filed a complaint against the BJP leader on March 30. 

The purported victim's husband has alleged in his plaint that Gowda barged into their home, and threatened the couple while the BJP leader also abused the woman.

Gowda, notably, flagged Prajwal Revanna's case to the saffron party.

Reacting to the allegations levelled against him, the BJP politico posted a video on Facebook where he details how he met the woman and her husband in his office. He also claims that the allegations against him are a plot and false.

It must be noted here that a Special Investigation Team is currently probing the sexual assault cases against Prajwal Revanna who along with his driver Karthik is no longer in the country. A Blue Corner notice is also in place to apprehend the son of H D Revanna who himself is placed under judicial custody till May 14.

In a major twist to the entire case— the woman in the FIR alleged that Devaraje Gowda who apprised BJP of the sex videos involving Prajwal Revanna— has been harassing her for the past 10 months under the guise of helping her sell a property.

The woman also said that she came in contact with Gowda during the process involving the property that she wanted to sell. However, on the pretext of guiding her, the woman alleged that the whistleblower BJP leader physically assaulted and harassed her while Gowda also threatened the couple.

The woman has now sought police protection for herself and family. Further levelling allegations against Gowda in her plaint, she said that the politico had taken her to an isolated place where he assaulted her and threatened to kill the couple.

Former chief minister of Karnataka and Prajwal Revanna's uncle H D Kumaraswamy recently demanded a CBI probe in the Prajwal Revanna matter. However, Home Minister G Parameshwara turned down the demand for the investigation to be handed over to CBI.

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News Network
May 2,2024

Bengaluru, May 2: Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, was issued fresh summons on Thursday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is investigating the case of obscene videos involving the former JD(S) member, several news outlets reported.

The SIT also junked his appeal which sought seven days time to join the probe, as per these reports.

Prajwal and his father, H D Revanna, have sexual harassment and stalking cases filed against them over the matter. Gowda's son, H D Revanna, however, said that what took place '4-5 years ago' is now being turned into a legal case.

JD(S) in its core committee meeting suspended Prajwal from the party till the end of the probe. Prajwal, meanwhile, took to X to state he would join the probe in seven days time, asserting 'truth will prevail'.

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