Karnataka: Portion of 600-year-old temple crashes, kills treasure hunter

News Network
August 9, 2020

Bengaluru, Aug 9: A youth was killed and three others injured as a pillar of an old temple on the outskirts of Bengaluru fell on them as they and five others dug under it in search of treasure, police said on Saturday.

"One treasure hunter got crushed under a pillar, three suffered injuries and have been hospitalised while five are on the run," a police official said.

The incident occurred at a centuries-old Anjaneya temple in Hindiganala village near Hoskote, around 50 km away from the city, on Thursday night.

Suresh, 23, got crushed to death while Manjunath, 23, Srinivas, 22, and Sebastian Raja Rathna, 22, were injured.

Following the unexpected accident, the injured treasure hunters called a 108 ambulance, leading to the entire incident coming to light.

The ambulance staff helped the youth stuck under the temple pillars and took them to hospital.

Police have registered a case under various sections of the Ancient Monuments Act, the Karnataka Treasure Trove Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

According to the official, local youth the village as well as a nearby village were involved in the hunt.

Police are on the lookout for the five treasure hunters on the run.

However, the police official said that it was an old ruined temple and there was nothing there.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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