Palemar, two other disgraced ex-Mins barred from attending Assembly till March 12

Bangalore, February 8: The three Karnataka Ministers who quit today over the porn scandal were barred by Speaker K G Bopaiah from attending proceedings of the Assembly till a House inquiry committee submits report on March 12.

In his ruling, Bopaiah asked the three to give an explanation by February 13 and their reply would be placed before the proposed six-member inquiry committee, comprising two members each from BJP, Congress and JDS.

Till then, the three are barred from attending the Assembly, Bopaiah said in his order as the unsavoury episode rocked the House and evoked an outrage across the state.

Not satisfied with the Speaker's decision, Leader of Congress Opposition Siddaramaiah said his party would boycott the committee, as the party pushed for the disqualification of the disgraced former ministers.

"Why should there be a committee. They (the three) have admitted (to watching the clips). Please disqualify them", Siddaramaiah said earlier after Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda proposed to the Speaker to form a House committee.

Amid a surcharged atmosphere, Congress and JDS members staged a dharna in the Well making a vociferous demand for the immediate suspension and disqualification of the three.

After giving his ruling, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die, cutting short the session by two days as it's originally scheduled to go on till February 10.

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NRI from Udupi wins Rs 50 crore in Abu Dhabi’s big ticket draw

News Network

February 4,2026

An Indian resident who won the Dh20 million (approximately Rs 50 crore) jackpot in Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw has told of his joy at sharing his life-changing fortune with a friend.

Shanthanu Shettigar, a shop manager in Muscat, regularly buys tickets for the monthly grand prize draw with one of his closest friends – and the pair won on February 3.

Mr Shettigar, 33, who is from Udyavar in Udupi district of the southern state of Karnataka and has lived in the Omani capital for eight years, said he was left speechless after learning of his success.

“When I first moved to Muscat, many of my colleagues were purchasing Big Ticket, which encouraged me to give it a try,” he said.

“I started buying tickets on my own, and later began sharing tickets with a close friend. The ticket that brought me this win was one we purchased together.”

“Like most people, I receive a lot of spam calls, and I was fully absorbed in my work as well. I knew the live draw was taking place tonight, but I never imagined my name would be announced,” he said.

“When I realised it was real and that I had won, I was honestly speechless. It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but I’m extremely happy.”

Mr Shettigar is not sure how he will spend his share of the money, but encouraged others to take part.

“This win was completely unexpected, so I want to take some time to think things through before deciding what to do next,” he said.

“I would definitely encourage others to participate with Big Ticket, whether with family or friends – you never know when your moment might come.”

The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million. It is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.

It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates and beyond.

Entry to the Big Ticket Millionaire is Dh500. Tickets can be bought online or at counters at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

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