HDK, the new Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, expresses deep gratitude to Modi

Bengaluru, July 16: BJP MLA and former Minister Byrathi Basavaraj has been booked in connection with the murder of a realtor, in front of his mother, police said on Wednesday (July 16, 2025).

The assailants came in a car and murdered Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shivu, a rowdy sheeter, in Bharathi Nagar in the city on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) night. The former Minister has been booked along with others, based on a complaint filed by the mother of the deceased, police said.

Shivaprakash's mother, Vijayalakshmi, in her complaint, said that she saw eight to nine people assaulting her son with iron rods and machetes. When his friend tried to intervene, they hit him too with an iron rod.

"As I screamed, people from around began gathering. Those unknown individuals murdered my son and fled from the scene in a white Scorpio vehicle and a two-wheeler. I can identify them if I see them," Ms. Vijayalakshmi said in her complaint.

Top police officials, including DCP D. Devaraj and Joint Commissioner Ramesh Banoth, visited the spot and confirmed that Shivakumar had a long criminal record with 11 cases registered against him and a rowdy sheet opened in 2006.

The police registered a case against Mr. Basavaraj along with Jagadeesh, Kiran, Vimal and Anil. The former minister has been added as accused number 5 in the FIR, police said.

On February 11, Mr. Jagadeesh and Mr. Kiran encroached on Shivaprakash's property in Kitaknoor and evicted the two female security guards from there, Ms. Vijayalakshmi alleged.

The accused had been calling him on the phone and threatening her son, she charged.

Mangaluru, July 6: In a chilling reminder of how fear and impersonation can override rationality, a Mangaluru woman was allegedly defrauded of a staggering ₹3.16 crore by cybercriminals posing as senior law enforcement officials and a public prosecutor.

This incident underscores the urgent need for public awareness about increasingly sophisticated impersonation scams, where fraudsters exploit legal jargon and fear tactics to drain victims financially.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN Crime Police Station, the ordeal began on June 5 when the woman received a call from an individual claiming to be Inspector Anu Sharma from the National Cyber Response Portal (NCRP). The caller informed her that a SIM card was allegedly purchased in her husband’s name and was being used for sending fraudulent messages and suspicious links.

The call was transferred multiple times — first to a so-called sub-inspector Mohan Kumar from ‘Sahar Police Station’ in Mumbai, who gathered personal details, and then to someone identifying himself as Public Prosecutor Deepak Venkata Ramana. The supposed prosecutor convinced the woman that her and her husband’s bank accounts were under scrutiny and needed to be “verified” through urgent fund transfers.

The complainant was threatened to maintain complete secrecy and promised that all transferred amounts would be refunded once the verification process was complete. Gripped by fear and manipulated through psychological pressure, she allegedly made a series of RTGS transfers between June 10 and June 27, totaling ₹3,16,52,142, into multiple bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.

Once the funds were drained, the fraudsters cut all communication and blocked the victim’s number. Only after she confided in her children did she realise that she had been conned.

Police have registered a case and an investigation is underway.

Why this matters:

This case highlights a disturbing trend in digital fraud, where scammers combine technology with fearmongering and impersonation to bypass even the most cautious minds. Authorities urge the public to be extremely wary of unsolicited calls claiming to be from police, banks, or legal institutions — especially when money is demanded under the guise of investigation or legal procedure.

San Diego, July 15: Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three fellow astronauts from the Axiom-4 commercial space mission successfully returned to Earth on Tuesday, following an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS).

The SpaceX Dragon capsule "Grace", carrying Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 3:01 pm (local time), concluding a 22.5-hour return journey.

The spacecraft had undocked from the ISS at 4:45 pm IST on Monday, marking the end of a mission that made Shukla the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station.

A screengrab posted by @Axiom_Space showed Shukla smiling and waving as he exited the capsule aboard the recovery vessel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the achievement, stating, "I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage, and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan."

Following splashdown, Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew were assisted out of the capsule and transferred to the recovery vehicle for initial medical checks and debriefing.

The mission is considered a major step in strengthening international cooperation in space exploration and bringing India one step closer to its own independent human spaceflight program.