Bengaluru News Highlights: SC dismisses D K Shivakumar’s petition challenging CBI FIR in disproportionate assets case

The Udupi district police in Karnataka booked a doctor on Sunday over his alleged communal post against Muslims on X.

The accused, Dr Keerthan Upadhya, works in a private hospital in Udupi’s Brahmavara. On July 13, a person asked on X, “If you could remove one thing from this world, what would it be?” Dr Upadhyan replied, “Muslim community.”

Soon after the post went viral drawing public ire, the doctor deleted it and claimed his account was hacked. “I had stopped using Twitter a few months back and realized something unwanted was posted. Someone was using my account. I have changed my password, login details, and everything related to the account. My account was hacked. Apologies to all here.”

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BJP leaders staged a protest against ST corporation fund embezzlement issue and SC/ST fund allocation issue ahead of the state legislature session. The monsoon session of the legislature began with condolence messages.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, challenging the CBI’s FIR against him in a case of disproportionate assets.

The CBI has alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Shivakumar, who was a minister in the previous Congress government, amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. While the investigating agency filed a report on September 3, 2020, Shivakumar challenged the FIR in the high court in 2021.

Basanagouda Daddal, the chairperson of the scam-hit Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, reappeared at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday after being inaccessible for several days.

Daddal, also the Raichur Rural Congress MLA, arrived at the Vidhana Soudha to participate in the Assembly session scheduled from Monday until July 26.

Addressing reporters, he clarified that he had not been missing but had instead visited his village.

Regarding the alleged illegal transfer of Rs 88 crore to various bank accounts, the MLA stated that he had not received any notice from the Enforcement Directorate.

Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Monsoon Session, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar refuted the reports of any scams in his government as alleged by the BJP.

"There is no scam. All scams have been created by the BJP and their tenure. BJP is the father of scams. Now we are trying to clean up everything and they are not able to digest it as their names will come out,” he said.

CM Siddaramaiah faces criticism from opposition parties in the alleged alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), with the BJP alleging that his wife Parvati gained illegal benefits.

Meanwhile, former scheduled tribes welfare minister B Nagendra was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 12 in connection with the scam involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

The Karnataka BJP workers held a protest near the Maharshi Valmiki statue in Bengaluru over the alleged MUDA scam, VALMIKI scam and WAQF board scam, on Monday.

“There is not only a scam in the WAQF board but also in the labour department. Congress is in power only to loot people,” said BJP leader CT Ravi.

Two minor boys were hit by a truck and died on the spot on the outskirts of Bengaluru after the car they were travelling in along with two other friends met with an accident in the early hours of Sunday. The police said the boys, residents of Kempapura in Bengaluru, were coming back after having a late-night dinner at a famous biryani point in Hoskote to celebrate the birthday of one of the boys.

The accident involving the deceased, who have been identified as Siddarth, 16, and Harshavardhan, 17, took place on the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) near Attibele village when they were coming back home. (Read More)

"Multiple scandals and corruptions of government headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah have been exposed. This government assured the people of Karnataka that they would give a corrupt free government. Siddaramaiah before he became chief minister had assured SC-ST people that he would look into the upliftment of those communities. But this government has failed," said Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Monsoon Session today.

The Karnataka government announced on Sunday the establishment of an inquiry commission to investigate the alleged alternative site scam within the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

According to the directive, retired High Court judge Justice P N Desai will lead the single-member commission.

The commission has been tasked with completing the inquiry and submitting its report to the state government within six months.

The controversy gained momentum following BJP's accusation that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, was among those who benefited from alternative sites (plots).

Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that MUDA unlawfully assumed control of his wife's four-acre property and developed a layout without her permission.

Amidst two scandals rocking the Karnataka Government, the BJP and JD(S) are gearing up to challenge the ruling Congress in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature starting Monday. The contentious Cauvery issue is also poised to take centre stage.

Former scheduled tribes welfare minister B Nagendra was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 12 in connection with the scam involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah faces criticism from opposition parties in the alleged alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), with the BJP alleging that his wife Parvati gained illegal benefits.