BENGALURU: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed a notice issued by the chief secretary to senior IPS officer Alok Kumar, who is the additional director general of police, proposing a departmental inquiry against him into the 2019 telephone audio leak case. Kumar contended that the departmental inquiry was already dropped as per the reply dated May 6, 2024, given by the state government under the Right to Information Act, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too has also

BENGALURU: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday stressed the need for grassroots participation in disaster preparedness, urging the formation of disaster management committees at the village level. Speaking at the World Disaster Management Conference at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), he highlighted that local communities play a crucial role in reducing the impact of disasters. The local community is the backbone of disaster management. Empowering, trai

BENGALURU: Bengaluru Navanirmana Party has claimed that over 2,800 people across the city have expressed solidarity with them in objecting to BBMP in its campaign titled #IWontPay, against the new solid waste management user fee on citizens who neither generate the waste nor receive BBMPs services. This is exploitation. How can BBMP collect a fee without even knowing who should pay and who shouldnt? said Srikanth Narasimhan, founder of BNP. He said the bulk-waste generator exemption was introduc

BENGALURU: In a freak accident involving a 16-wheel truck transporting boulders, a garbage truck and a cab on the International Airport Road in the early hours of Saturday, the driver of the garbage truck died while two others sustained injuries. The deceased was identified as Faizan Ahmed (25), a native of Bihar. The injured are identified as Margoob Reja (23), the garbage truck cleaner and Harish, the driver of the truck transporting the boulders. The incident happened on the Kodigehalli flyov

BENGALURU: The restoration of the 45-acre Vibhutipura Lake in Mahadevpura Zone has suffered a huge setback with African Catfish taking over the water body in the wake of pre-monsoon rains. The walkers and lake activists said the lake and buffer zone have been already encroached. Now with the rains, dirty water has flooded the lake and banned African Catfish are cavorting in the lake, they pointed out. Ravi Kumar, a regular walker, said,Ten days ago when the water level was low in the lake, these

MADIKERI: Astroll on a quaint street near Government Junior College in Madikeri introduces one to a beautification project where flower pots hang on retaining walls of public spaces. In between the flower pots, dustbins are also placed for public use. This beautification project was not taken up by the City Municipal Council or any other government body; it is the effort of an individual from Delhi who moved into the city two years ago in search of clean air. Piyush Agarwal has grand plans to ma

BENGALURU: CBSE students showed a strong performance while the overall eligibility for various professional courses registered a noticeable dip in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)-2025 results announced by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on Saturday. Of the total 3,11,991 candidates who appeared this year, more than 2.75 lakh passed, bringing the total pass percentage to 88.36. Among the top 10 rank holders in the engineering stream, seven were from CBSE schools. Bhavesh Jaya

BENGALURU: Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has come up with a comprehensive 15-point plan aimed at addressing Bengalurus worsening infrastructure, mobility, and governance challenges. In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on May 24, the MP stated that he could not take part in the meeting of MPs and MLAs from Bengaluru on urgent issues concerning the citys infrastructure as he is currently part of an all-party delegation visiting the US to convey Indias message against terroris

BENGALURU: Karnataka has recorded 38 Covid-19 cases so far, 32 of them in Bengaluru, prompting health officials to issue an advisory on Friday. While the numbers mark a slow uptick, doctors say Covid is now part of the regular cycle of viral infections and is likely to behave like seasonal flu, with periodic rises and dips making panic unnecessary. Doctors also suggest masking up in crowded places as a sensible preventive step to avoid a larger spread. Covid-19 cases are rising again primarily

BENGALURU: Despite the vibrancy of Bengalurus startup ecosystem, upstream circularity, innovations that prevent waste before its created, remains largely untapped, said Bjarke Kovshj, Strategic Programmes Manager, Climate KIC--Europe's leading climate innovation agency and community. He spoke after releasing a new report by Climate KIC titled How Strong Innovation Ecosystems Can Create Inclusive Circular Economies, here on May 22. The report draws in-depth insights from Circular Economy Innovati

BENGALURU: Heart Lamp, which won the prestigious International Booker Prize, is selling like hot cakes. The English translation of Banu Mushtaqs Edeya Hanate has created a huge demand for other Kannada works translated into English. Readers not just from Karnataka, but across other states are buying up Heart Lamp, leading to a stockout in most of the bookstores. We sold more than 200 books in two days and are out of stock, exclaimed Krishna Gowda, a representative of Bookworm, Church Street. We

Chaos. A search to understand the word better revealed: Complete disorder and confusion. In Physics, it is explained as the property of a complex system whose behaviour is so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions. That is as far as understanding the word is concerned. This simple five-letter word can however send the brain into a spin when we experience it. For that, you need to be in Bengaluru probably the most ideal place to experience ch

BENGALURU: At the end of an intense and diligent investigation lasting four days in which the cops sifted through CCTV camera footage and call data records, the Subramanyanagar police have cracked the case of the mysterious predawn break-in at a tony pub that kept north Bengaluru on knifes edge a fortnight ago. The police have arrested a 29-year-old BCom graduate from Odisha in connection with the robbery at Geometry Brewery and Kitchen in Rajaji Nagar on May 12. The accused was identified as Ma

BENGALURU: Kannada actor Madenur Manu has been arrested after a 33-year-old co-artiste filed a complaint against him for raping her on the pretext of marriage. Manus arrest comes a day before the release of his movie Kuladalli Keelyavudo in which he is the hero. Manu, who went absconding after the complaint was registered on Wednesday afternoon, was arrested in his native Madenur in Hassan dsitrict on Thursday. Manu is also known for his appearance in the Kannada reality show Comedy Khiladigalu

BENGALURU: Acting on a directive from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi, Karnatakas Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) department has launched a state-wide drive against the use of banned fruit-ripening agents, artificial colouring and coating of fruits using synthetic dyes and other non-permitted substances, which pose serious health risks. This comes after FSSAI instructed all states and Union Territories to step up enforcement and conduct special drive

BENGALURU: The decision to sign on actress Tamannaah Bhatia for an eye-popping fee of Rs 6.2 crore as brand ambassador of the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) has sparked an uproar in the state. Tamannaah (35), predominantly an actress in Tamil and Telugu movies, pipped the likes of Deepika Padukone, Pooja Hegde and Rashmika Mandanna to the post for a two-year period. Social media slammed the State government for the the move and the leaders of Kannada f

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) Marketing Staff and Workers Association has raised serious concerns over wage inequality and alleged corruption within the organisation. Many contract workers who have been serving the company for over 25 years, alleged that they continue to receive meagre salaries between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000, without increments or legally-mandated bonuses, while newly-appointed contract staff are being paid very high amounts leading up to Rs 1.5 l

BENGALURU: Fear gripped Malleswaram on Thursday evening, after a GAIL gas pipeline was accidentally damaged during ongoing civic work by the BWSSB. The incident occurred during excavation activities on 8th Main, leading to a significant gas leak that caused considerable panic in the neighborhood. According to residents, the leak occurred between 5.30 and 5.45 pm, when a loud noise was heard, followed by a strong smell of pungent gas spreading through the area. There was a loud sound, and when we

BENGALURU: Karnataka Lokayukta Justice BS Patil, Upa Lokayuktas Justice KN Phaneendra and Justice B Veerappa visited flood-affected areas in the city on Thursday, to hear the woes of victims. Taking stock of the travails of rain-affected residents, the Lokayukta directed his office to register suo motu complaints and has convened a public hearing with officials at 12.30pm Friday. Those interested can participate in the meeting. Accompanied by judicial officials and police officers, they visited

BENGALURU: After the deluge comes a sliver of good news. Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Maheshwar Rao on Thursday said that a loan amount of Rs 1,600 crore has been approved by World Bank and now the BBMP will start the works related to the Storm Water Drain (SWD) project. The loan was sought and approved for the specific purpose and the plan is to ensure the stormwater is taken out from Bengaluru City without any flooding and reaches the river network in the cit

BENGALURU: Little Deepa grew up listening to her grandmothers stories said Sudhamani, mother of Deepa Bhasthi, the acclaimed translator of Heart Lamp. A Madikeri-based writer, Deepas fascination with stories began early--long before she became a journalist and translator. Her love for stories and writing began when she sat listening to the stories told by her grandmother. Deepas grandmother used to tell amazing stories and she loved listening to them, mesmerized, and slowly falling in love with

HASSAN: Words failed on this occasion. When Banuauthor, activist, lawyer, journalist, poet, wife, mother and grandmothercalled her husband, Mushtaq (77), from London at 3.15 am on Wednesday, their two-storey house near District Armed Forces in Hassan was already basking in the glow from Heart Lamp. Nanage award sikkitu. Nanage khushi aayutu (I won it, Im very happy) was all she could say at that moment when she spoke to me, said a proud Mushtaq when TNIE reached out to share in the joy. I could,

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that flood-affected victims would be given suitable compensation. He directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials to carry out a survey of the damage of all flooded houses in Bengaluru, based on which the victims would be compensated. Siddaramaiah was speaking to reporters after inspecting rain-hit areas on Wednesday. Rainwater has entered homes and caused damage. Victims are demanding Rs 1 lakh as compensation. We will compensate the v

BENGALURU: Misusing the Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) of the Deputy Director of Handlooms and Textiles Department, miscreants sanctioned benefits worth Rs 3 crore to 159 beneficiaries under the Weavers Residential Project through the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Ltd. One of the accused, Subhashchandra from Kalaburagi, got anticipatory bail recently. I have perused the remand application of accused Nos. 1 and 2 produced along with the petition, which indicates that one Bharath and Abhis

BENGALURU: Dr MA Saleem, DGP of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Units and Economic Offences, has been placed in concurrent charge as Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP). The 1993-batch IPS officer took charge from the incumbent DG & IGP Alok Mohan, who retired on Wednesday. After taking charge, Saleem said his main focus will be on bringing transparency in the functioning of the police department. His other priorities will be a victim-centric approach durin

BENGALURU: An Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) at Victoria Hospital, which is attached to the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), has been suspended after he was accused of selling fake medical certificates to people involved in criminal cases. The action comes after a video aired on a television channel showed Dr Shankar KN allegedly handing out false medical certificates. These certificates are suspected to have been used by the accused to avoid court hearings or seek bail

Literature enthusiasts across India woke up on Wednesday morning to the sweet news of Karnatakas own Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi winning The International Booker Prize, awarded to translated works into English. This was a landmark moment for Kannada literature, with Heart Lamp becoming the first Kannada language work to be recognised by the prestigious award. It was also notable for the fact that this marks the first time a collection of short stories has been awarded. A set of 12 short stori

BENGALURU: An FIR has been registered against unknown persons for clicking pictures and recording videos of women travelling on the Bengaluru metro without their consent, and later uploading them on social media platforms, police said on Wednesday. The photos and videos uploaded on the Instagram account identified as Bangalore Metro Clicks (@metro_chicks), which had over 6,000 followers, have now been deleted, police added. The issue, according to police, came to light on May 20 when a police of

Nikhil Somwanshi, a 24-year-old machine learning engineer at Olas artificial intelligence division Krutrim, allegedly died by suicide after sending a chilling message to his roommate asking him to tell others that he had died in an accident, India Today reported. A native of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, Somwanshi had left his shared accommodation in Bengalurus HSR Layout on the evening of May 7. When his roommate couldnt reach him by phone, he used a linked device to trace his live location. He arriv

BENGALURU: The Enforcement Wing (South Zone) of the Commercial Taxes Department has uncovered a large-scale tax evasion network involving goods worth several crores of rupees during a series of simultaneous inspections across more than 20 key commercial locations in Bengaluru. The inspections, conducted in areas including the Central Business District, Chickpet, Avenue Road, Cottonpet, Balepet, and BVK Iyengar Road, revealed rampant GST violations. Traders dealing in electrical and electronic go

BENGALURU: A day after two people, including a boy, were electrocuted while pumping water from a building basement at MS Palya near Dollars Colony on Monday night, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said a law will be framed to prevent the construction of underground garages in areas near lakes and in low-lying areas. Speaking to the media after meeting the family members of the deceased, Manmohan Kamath and Dinesh, on Tuesday, Shivakumar said compensation would be given to the family. Compens

BENGALURU: Motorists faced a tough time on Tuesday also as heavy rain lashed the city in the morning, flooding most of its roads. The stretch between Silk Board and Roopena Agrahara on Hosur Road was closed to traffic for nearly two hours during peak hours due to waterlogging. The elevated Electronics City flyover was also shut. Traffic was affected in several areas of the citys Central Business District as many roads there were flooded. The delay in clearing fallen trees and towing of vehicles,

BENGALURU: Mentioning that the deplorable state of city roads has caused him significant physical pain and mental distress, a Bengaluru-based doctor has served a legal notice to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao seeking a whopping Rs 50 lakh as compensation. Dr Kiran Jeevan, a 43-year-old resident of Richmond Town, served the legal notice dated May 14 through his advocate. The notice stated that Jeevan has undergone extreme pain, trauma and suffering due

BENGALURU: In the wake of the heavy downpour wreaking havoc across the city, a BJP delegation visited rain-hit areas, including Silk Board, Madhavan Apartments in JP Nagar and Gurappanapalya, on Tuesday to assess the damage on the ground. During the inspection, the BJP leaders slammed the Congress government, particularly for holding its Sadhana Samavesha to showcase its achievements of two years in power at a time when the city is literally under water. They criticised the government for failin

BENGALURU: No rainbow yet. Intermittent rains continued to lash the city on Tuesday, not giving citizens any respite from pre-monsoon misery. The Sun peered through the dark clouds post-noon for a brief while. Several parts of the city witnessed rain in the morning, disrupting the daily rhythm. People were seen wading through the flooded roads and struggling to walk on the submerged footpaths. Vendors selling perishable goods and flowers across the city, including K R Market, Madiwala and Sarakk

BENGALURU: The proposed commercial project in the Cantonment Colony in Vasanth Nagar that envisions the axing of 368 old-growth trees invited strong opposition from residents and environmental activists during a public consultation held here on Tuesday. There are more than 10,500 petitions against the proposal and we stand firmly together against this, said Priya Chetty, founder of Heritage Beku. At the meeting organised by the Railways and forest department, a resident said, The forest departme

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister and Bangalore Development Minister DK Shivakumars pet 250-metre-high SkyDeck project is unlikely to come up at Bangalore Universitys Jnanabharathi campus. The varsity has not responded to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palikes (BBMPs) requests for land to execute the project on the campus, and the city corporation has resumed its search at alternate locations for the project which aims to promote tourism and display the citys modernity. Additional Chief Secretary, U

BENGALURU: Three days of continuous rainfall severely disrupted pedestrian movement across the city. Waterlogged footpaths, ongoing construction, debris and illegal parking have made walking a daily struggle for residents. Pedestrians in key areas like 80 Feet Road in Koramangala, JC Road, Banashankari and Post Office Road near Bangalore Central University are facing major difficulties due to obstructed and damaged footpaths. A visit by TNIE to some of the locations revealed the extent of the ch

Gone are the days of quiet luxury and beige palettes, as the city witnesses a burst of bold colours, chunky jewellery, and statement pieces. With celebrities like Ranveer Singh, Lady Gaga, and Jacqueline Fernandez paving way to maximalist fashion, individuals have embraced this aesthetic as an outlet for self-expression, incorporating vibrant outfits with layers, accessories, and intricate patterns. For fashion influencer Shivani Jai, maximalism is a way of showing ones unique boldness to stand

Shinie Antony, known for her novella The Girl Who Couldnt Love (Speaking Tiger; 299), is a figure ubiquitous in Bengalurus literary circuits. Through lyrical and deft prose, her work epitomises a struggle between bitterness and bereavement, primarily through first-person narratives. Recently, the author discussed three of her books: Cant (Speaking Tiger; 350), Eden Abandoned (Hachette India; 499), and Hell Hath No Fury (Hachette India; 599). A perfunctory glance at Antonys Google page would reve

While India has long had the reputation of sidelining sports that are not cricket, it has also produced stalwarts like Sania Mirza, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi who achieved star-statuses that rival crickets fame and made the world sit up and pay attention to their talents. A tennis icon, Rohan Bopanna, firmly finds himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these greats. Amidst preparing for The Wimbledon Championships set to be held from June 30, Bopanna inaugurated the SM Krishna Stadium

BENGALURU: A city civil and sessions court dismissed an anticipatory bail petition of Nagaraj Marimuthu from Tamil Nadu over a complaint filed by IAS officer Pallavi Akurati, who was allegedly cheated after paying the money online to purchase a saree. She tried to purchase a Madurai Sungudi cotton saree through a YouTube vendor after watching a video uploaded by Poornima Collection. She had sent a screenshot of the selected saree to the specified WhatsApp number and paid Rs 850, including shippi

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blamed unexpected, heavy rainfall for floods in many parts of Bengaluru on Monday. Though he announced initially that he would visit rain-affected areas in the evening and hear out grievances of the people, he called off the plan, saying it would inconvenience the already affected people. He justified it by saying he would not be able to see much of the rain damage in the evening. He instead headed to the Integrated Command and Control Centre at the BBMP he

BENGALURU: Due to heavy rainfall over the past three days, waterlogging, ongoing construction, uprooted trees and fallen branches severely impacted commuters across the city, resulting in significant traffic jams and slow-moving vehicles. While the rains over the weekend may not have disrupted traffic much, Monday saw severe congestion as the public headed to work amid flooded roads. Videos of waterlogged streets and commuters struggling to navigate them have gone viral on social media. In a few

BENGALURU: A 61-year-old advocate who questioned unauthorised blocking of the road for construction work, was allegedly assaulted by a group of six men on Wilson Garden 20th Cross, around 2.45 pm on Sunday. The victim, S Umesh Kumar, who is also the president of Cubbon Park Walkers Association, is under treatment in Bowring Hospital and his condition is said to be out of danger. Kumar was returning home in SR Nagar near Dairy Circle from a wedding. While driving on the 20th Cross, he found the r

BENGALURU: A 55-year-old sub-inspector attached to the Electronics City traffic police station died, while four others were injured, after the two-wheeler on which he was riding, along with his daughter, was struck by a KSRTC bus around 12.10 pm on Monday. The accident occurred in Kaggalipura on the Bengaluru-Kanakapura main road on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Nagaraj, who was residing at the police quarters in Thyagarajanagar. The bus driver, who was reportedly overspeeding, los

BENGALURU: Days after a 25-year-old software engineer ended his life by jumping into a lake in the city, social media was flooded with posts claiming that he took the extreme step due to the alleged work pressure. However, police stated that they could not confirm that work pressure drove the software engineer to take the extreme step. Nikhil Somwanshi, who hailed from Maharashtra and lived in HSR Layout, was found dead in Agara Lake in HSR Layout police limits on May 8. An IISc graduate, Somwan

BENGALURU: A 25-year-old online delivery agent was burnt alive by a man while he was asleep over an alleged affair with the accuseds girlfriend. The deceased has been identified as Ijul Haque. The police arrested the accused, Munawar Ali (22), a delivery agent. Both Haque and Ali hail from Assam. The incident happened in the wee hours of Friday between 3.30 am and 4.30 am. Ali, the accused, poured petrol over Haque and two of his friends and set them ablaze. Haque succumbed to burns on Sunday ar

BENGALURU: As a torrential downpour battered Bengaluru for three-and-half hours beginning 2am Monday, citizens were in for a rude awakening. Boats and tractors were deployed to rescue stranded citizens in areas, including Sai Layout in KR Puram. With water above knee-level in many areas, citizens bore the brunt of the relentless heavy rain on Monday. They lambasted the government for its failure to address flooding. Not only was the public affected, but Central Crime Branch sleuths were not able

BENGALURU: Bengaluru witnessed the second highest rainfall in the last 15 years at 105.5 mm on Monday, bringing life to a wearisome crawl for all. Three were plain unlucky as they perished in the pre-monsoon misery. A 63-year-old man and 12-year-old boy were electrocuted in Mico Layout, while a 35-year-old woman housekeeper died when a compound wall collapsed in Whitefield. Water entered the lives of people--roads were turned into rivers, homes and apartments were flooded, vehicles got submerged