BENGALURU: A 32-year-old woman, Gauri Khedekar alias Gauri Anil Sambrekar, was murdered by her husband, Rakesh Rajendra Khedekar (36), at their house in Doddakammanahalli. After stabbing his wife to death, the accused stuffed her body inside a suitcase and cleaned the bloodstains in the house. The suitcase was found in the bathroom. In a swift operation, police arrested Rakesh in Pune based on his mobile phone location. A team from the South East division police has left for Pune to bring him ba

BELAGAVI: A day after MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal was expelled from the BJP for six years, a group of disgruntled party MLAs headed by Ramesh Jarkiholi have decided to hold a meeting in Bengaluru on Friday to send a strong message to the party that all of them are with Yatnal. Jarkiholi said in Belagavi on Thursday that the rebel MLAs, who are against the leadership of B V Vijayendra in the party, will appeal to the party high command to reconsider the decision, adding that Yatnal would return t

SHIVAMOGGA: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ruled that the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) should compensate complainants Bhagya and Nagaraj after the insurer denied an insurance claim related to their late brothers policies, citing a deficiency in service. Bhagya and Nagaraj had filed a complaint against LIC officials, including the first respondent, the zonal manager of LIC of India in Hyderabad, and the second respondent, the senior divisional manager of LIC

BENGALURU: In view of Ugadi and Ramzan festival on March 30 and 31 respectively, KSRTC will be operating 2,000 extra buses from Bengaluru to various places in addition to the existing schedules from March 28 to 30. Later, special buses will be operated from various places of Intra and Interstate places to Bengaluru on March 31. The KRSTC, in a press release, stated that passengers can book computerized reservation tickets in advance for the special buses and the reserved passengers should note t

BENGALURU/YELLAPUR: A day after getting show-cause notices, Yeshwantpur BJP MLA ST Somashekar said he would reply to the notice after consulting his lawyers, while Yellapur BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar denied indulging in any anti-party activities. Somashekar told reporters on Wednesday that he had neither attended any Congress party event, nor entered the KPCC office. God has given me strength and I shall fight legally, he said, adding that his meeting with DyCM DK Shivakumar was official. Shivakuma

VIJAYAPURA: Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnals anti-party and anti-minority remarks often stir controversy in the political circles. And Wednesdays expulsion from the party for alleged anti-party statements, too, is not new for the former Union minister, as this is the third time in his political career that he has been expelled from the party. Interestingly, of the three expulsions, he was expelled twice for raising revolt against party leaders, primarily former CM BS Yediyurappa and

BENGALURU: Has BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who in the past accused former CM BS Yediyurappa and party state president BY Vijayendra of having a tacit understanding with Congress, himself erred by raising the honeytrap issue to help a section of ruling party members, especially Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna? Yatnal, a former Union minister, has always accused Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra of indulging in adjustment politics. He has also accused the father-son duo of indulging in c

BELAGAVI: A meeting between PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy, an arch-rival of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in New Delhi has raised many eyebrows. The duo meeting in the national capital comes at a time when the honeytrap issue is raging. Satish played down his meeting with Kumaraswamy and former PM Deve Gowda in Delhi on Wednesday, stating that he held discussions on developmental issues concerning Karnataka. Satish did not

BENGALURU: Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil on Wednesday defended the Bills that were passed in the Assembly and Council favoring a salary hike for the CM, ministers, legislators, the Assembly Speaker and Council chairman and a hike in pension for former legislators. The size of the salary we increased is not in tune with any government cadre, he told reporters. On passing these Bills without any debate, the minister said there is nothing to hide. They were finance Bills and there

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is likely to issue notification on the proposed auctioning of unused CL-2 (retail liquor shops), CL -9 (bars & restaurants) and 11-C (government-owned Mysore Sales International Limited retail outlets) licences next week, informed sources told TNIE . Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his budget on March 7, had announced the proposal to allocate unused liquor licenses through a transparent electronic auction, which is expected to aid in additional resource mobili

BENGALURU: To combat cervical cancer, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced a targeted immunisation drive in Kalyana Karnatakas five districts, to vaccinate all 14-year-old girls free of cost. The initiative, announced on Wednesday, will be continued annually for girls turning 14 in these districts to eliminate cervical cancer the second most common cancer among women after breast cancer. The announcement was made at the event titled Cervical Cancer Elimination Movement From Awareness to

BENGALURU: Close on the heels of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi meeting Congress high command leaders in New Delhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to visit the national capital on April 2. The main agenda of Siddaramaiahs visit, according to informed sources, is to get the top brass nod to nominate members to four vacant MLC posts. The CM, however, is also expected to discuss other political developments in Karnataka, including the alleged honeytrap attempt on Cooperation Minister KN Rajan

BENGALURU: Smart meters cost in Karnataka is the highest in the country as the state is unable to get the Centres subsidy. Ensuring that there are no pending bills with Energy Supply Companies Limited (escoms) is one of the conditions for getting the subsidy. According to the energy department, various government agencies owe Rs 8662.37-crore to escoms. The rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) department owes Rs 4,470.82 crore, followed by the urban development department Rs 2,223.01 crore

BENGALURU: Energy Minister KJ George on Wednesday ruled out any scam in the smart meter project being implemented in the state by Uttar Pradesh-based Rajashree Electricals and fixing the cost at Rs 4,998 per meter and a service charge of Rs 75 per month. If there is any irregularity and details regarding it are submitted, the project will be stopped and tenders cancelled accordingly. The government has the power to do it, he told reporters. Leaders of BJP and JDS had alleged a Rs 15,568-crore sc

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged honey-trapping of legislators, public servants, and judges in Karnataka. A three-judge bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath and comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta, dismissed the plea filed by author Binay Kumar Singh, stating that there was no merit in the cas

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of a history-sheeter. Police nabbed the assailants within forty-eight hours of the murder. The history-sheeter has been identified as Shiva Kumar. KGF (Kolar Gold Fields) Superintendent of Police KM Shantharaju said that on March 23, Shiva Kumar, accompanied by his 17-year-old girlfriend were on their way to Kamasamudram to have dinner. At that time, three persons, who were travelling in a two-wheeler, attacked Shiva Kumar with lethal

BENGALURU: Four crucial Legislative Council seats in Karnataka have remained vacant for over a year now, raising questions about the Congress governments plans. With the ruling party poised to secure an easy majority in the Upper House, this inaction has set off speculation whether it is only apathy, a strategic delay or something else. Two of the four seats have remained vacant since October 2023, another since November 2023, and the last in January 2024. Yet, the Congress appears to be in no r

MYSURU: More than 1,000 cusecs of Cauvery water wastefully flowed into the river for more than a day after a sluice gate suddenly opened at the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir on Monday night. Farmers alleged that officials failed to attend to the crisis immediately and did not close the gate to save precious water. Many wanted to know whether the fifth crest gate opened on its own due to a technical fault or because of the callousness of employees assigned to monitor the gauge and operations of slu

BENGALURU: The Karnataka forest department is collating data for the State government, which is keen to file a counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court on alternative solutions against the ban on movement of vehicles during night hours through Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) on National Highway-212 (also called NH-766). We dont want the ban order issued by Supreme Court to be revoked. There is a lot of pressure from the government to lift it or find alternative solutions. One of the alternatives we a

BENGALURU: Opposition BJP and JDS on Tuesday alleged a Rs 15,568 crore scam in the Energy Departments smart meters procurement process and demanded that the State Government cancel the tender process. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Tuesday, senior BJP leader and former DyCM CN Ashwath Narayan termed it daylight robbery. The BJP leader said that the department violated the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act in the tender process and also the Union Governments directiv

BENGALURU: Waste collection may be hit across Bengaluru from Wednesday as thousands of cleaners and drivers with the Bangalore Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML), a waste management wing of BBMP, have threatened to go on strike, seeking regularisation of their services. Thyagaraj, president of the Karmika Samrakshane organisation fighting for their cause, said DCM and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar had promised to look into their issue four months ago. But there has been no progres

BENGALURU: Marking attendance by signing the ledger or placing the finger on the biometric device could soon be passe. The state government is all set to introduce the Karnataka Advanced Attendance Management System (KAAMS) at all its departments which is enabled by artificial intelligence and geographic information system. Employees will have to mark their attendance by clicking a selfie from their mobile phone on their office premises and their attendance is captured real time. This AI-enabled

BELAGAVI: The Belagavi district police failed to register a case for nearly a month after a widow was allegedly stripped and assaulted by a group of people during a land dispute at Harlapur, near Saudatti, on February 20. The incident gained attention after a section of the media reported that the woman had been attacked repeatedly. Taking serious note of the matter, the Chief Ministers office directed the Belagavi police to file an FIR. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the widow alleged that

BENGALURU: The Advocates' Association of Bengaluru (AAB) has passed a resolution urging the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court to investigate allegations made on the floor of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by Minister K. N. Rajanna that some judges have been honey-trapped. Expressing serious concern over the claim, the AAB, in a special general body meeting convened to discuss corruption in the judiciary, resolved to write to the Speaker of the House, requesting an inquiry into the ve

BENGALURU: A special court here has reserved its order on the bail plea of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao in the gold smuggling case until March 27, following a detailed hearing of arguments from both the defence and the prosecution. During the proceedings, Rao's counsel Kiran Jawali argued for her release, while the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's (DRI) lawyer, Madhu Rao, presented evidence suggesting her direct role in the illicit transfer of funds. According to the

BENGALURU: If the recent 36-paise per unit surcharge in the electricity bill is not bad enough, there are more taxes in the pipeline. According to Energy Department officials, consumers taking new or temporary connections have to pay for the smart meter and service charges. Further, all existing consumers have to contribute to service charges of smart meters installed for new consumers, in their electricity bills. This amount will only increase over time, as the number of meters will keep going

BENGALURU: With summer upon us, the demand for power has shot up, with peak demand exceeding 18,000MW in the past two months. In February 2025, peak demand reached 18,350MW, and on March 7, it touched 18,395MW. Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey said the upward trend is expected to continue, and touch 18,500MW in April. He told the media on Monday that there has been a 15 per cent spike in power demand from the agricultural sector, with farmers going

BENGALURU: It is not just winds and local convection that play a role in deciding the intensity rainfall, but also the density of the clouds travelling from the oceans. A study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) shows that the the strength of a cloud band (collection of clouds) plays a key role in their movement and the density of rains in the monsoon. Professor and Chair of Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS) and co-author of the study paper, PN Vinayachan

BENGALURU: Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara here on Monday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will start implementing internal reservation for Scheduled Castes soon after the Justice Nagamohan Das committee submits its interim report in a week. The CM held a meeting with SC ministers, including Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, RB Timmapur, Shivraj Thangadgi, Dr HC Mahadevappa, Priyank Kharge and Justice Nagmohan Das, at his residence. After attending the meeting, Parameshwara told the media that the Con

BELAGAVI: The Belagavi police arrested a couple on charges of killing their newborn and dumping the body in a garbage bin. Police said Mahabalesh Kamoji (31) and Simran alias Muskan (22), both from Ambadgatti village, near Kittur, were in a relationship for the past three years and were supposed to get married shortly. No one in Muskan's family realised that she was pregnant and she eventually gave birth on March 5. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police, Bhimashankar Guled, Muskan had l

BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday warned that he will take legal action against the BJP for distorting his statement about the Constitution. The Parliament had witnessed uproar on March 24 over the alleged remarks of Shivakumar about changing the Constitution to provide reservation to Muslims. He denied having said that he would make changes to the Constitution to extend reservation to Muslims. Shivakumar said that his reference to changing the Constitution was

MANGALURU: Strongly defending his decision to suspend the 18 MLAs for creating a ruckus in the recently concluded assembly session, Assembly Speaker UT Khader said that he will not hesitate to initiate harsher punishment including dismissal of MLAs who are 'habitual offenders'. Talking to reporters, Khader said the suspended MLAs thought that they could get away by creating a ruckus since it was the last day of the session. He added that a few of the first time MLAs were not even aware of the gr

The newly formed Cyber and Information Security (CIS) Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been working on a plan to set up five regional centres of the National Cyber Forensic Laboratories (NCFL) with an aim to enhance capabilities of central agencies and state police forces in their counter online fraud efforts, officials said on Monday. According to officials one of these centres will come up in Northern, Eastern & North Eastern, Central, Western and Southern regions with

HUBBALLI: Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti has said that he will resign from the post as he is unhappy with the House proceedings in the recent legislature session. Though he did not blame anyone, he said, I had decided to resign and had submitted my resignation immediately after the recent session on March 18. However, the resignation was not accepted due to technical reasons. Now, I will put down my papers again on April 1. Horatti, however, said that he was unhappy with the even

BENGALURU: The Janata Dal (Secular), which is in an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, is reportedly in a Catch-22 situation as to whether to support the 4% quota for Muslims in government contracts under 2B category or join hands with its alliance partner BJP to oppose it. The Congress government in Karnataka passed the bill on Friday, providing the quota for minorities, amid strong opposition from BJP. Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries and former chief minister HD K

BENGALURU: With the alleged honeytrap attempt on Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna taking fresh twists and turns, AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge visited Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the latters official residence Cauvery, here on Sunday. Though Kharge maintained it was a courtesy call to inquire after Siddaramaiahs health, there is a possibility that the honeytrap matter was discussed, according to sources. Kharge might have advised Siddaramaiah to order a probe as soon as possible, to contr

BENGALURU: Crimes against children in the state have surged, with an average of 10 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases registered every day in the first two months of 2025. In 2024, the police registered 8,233 cases of crime against children, an increase from 7,854 cases in 2023. Among these, 4,003 were POCSO cases, marking a 38.89% rise in four years, from 2,882 cases in 2021. Despite the increase in the number of cases, the conviction rate remains low, with only 353 convi

BENGALURU: The suspension of 18 BJP MLAs from the Karnataka Assembly has triggered a political storm, with saffron party leaders calling it undemocratic and accusing the Ruling Congress of stifling opposition voices. Belagavi MP and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Sunday criticised the suspension order, stating that the BJP legislators were protesting against the State Governments handling of the 4% quota for minorities in government contracts and the alleged honey-trap issue. He argue

As the country gears up for the Swachh Survekshan ranking and Bengalurus garbage menace becomes a topic of conversation, not just among citizens but in the legislature session too, Almitra Patel, member of the Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management, and national expert, Swachh Bharat Mission, says the solution is simple mixed waste should never go to landfills. In conversation with the editorial staff of the TNIE , she says corruption, lack of will and focus in the wrong direction a

KALABURAGI: In a landmark order to settle a dispute between the seers of Uttaradi Mutt and Raghavendra Swamy Mutt over performing puja and aradhana of Brindavana at Nava Brindavana, situated near Anegundi of Koppal district, once for all, the Supreme Court has referred both the parties for a mediation. The apex court has requested former SC judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul to act as a mediator between the parties. The division bench of the SC, comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, p

MYSURU: A youth was brutally attacked by a girls family for allegedly supporting her love affair in Hunsur on Sunday. His elder brother, who tried to rescue him, was also assaulted. According to the police, Ghanvanth, a resident of Shravanahalli village under Bilikere police station limits, was targeted by Cheluvaraju and his associates after he was accused of encouraging Cheluvarajus daughter Lakshmis relationship with a young man from the same village. After learning about the affair, Cheluvar

KGF: Devotees and the general public lauded the KGF police for tight security during the annual Brahmothsava held for thirteen days from March 8 to March 21. Over one lakh devotees witnessed the famous festival of KGF Sree Prasanna Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple. It was a tough time for the police officers. However, regular meetings chaired by Superintendent of Police K.M.Shantharaju and Deputy Superintendent of Police Panduranga, follow-ups, round-the-clock patrol, and installation of additi

CHENNAI: The claims made by BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai over Parliamentary delimitation not affecting the southern states do not matter and it is the words of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister that count, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters here before departing for Bengaluru, the Karnataka Congress chief also took a jibe at Annamalai, saying he was eing loyal to the party and not to Tamil Nadu. Annamalai is not important here, it is importan

BELAGAVI: PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi said there is a CD factory in the state that is involved in honey-trapping political leaders, and it needs to be exposed. Responding to Minister K N Rajannas statement that attempts were made to honey-trap him, Jarkiholi said an investigation would be done if the minister files a complaint. There is still time to lodge a complaint against the attempts being made to honey-trap leaders. Only powerful leaders are often targeted in honey-trap cases, he said. H

BENGALURU: Senior BJP leaders, including party state president BY Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka and MLA V Sunil Kumar, urged Assembly Speaker UT Khader to withdraw the order suspending 18 MLAs for six months. Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, Vijayendra termed the Speakers decision as illegal, unconstitutional, unilateral, and taken arbitrarily. The Speaker not only insulted the legislators but also the people of their constituencies, he said. He said the suspen

BENGALURU: Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Saturday said if the 18 BJP MLAs submit a request, he will consider reducing their six-month suspension. Khader suspended the MLAs from the House on Friday for showing disrespect to his chair by hurling torn papers at him, besides climbing on his chair and obstructing him from discharging his duties. He acted on Rule 348 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Addressing a press conference here, Khader defended his act

BENGALURU: Joint-general secretary of RSS Arun Kumar said on Saturday that protection of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh is the responsibility of India. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the three-day RSS convention, Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), here, Kumar said RSS is satisfied with what the BJP government has done so far for protection of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. A lot more needs to be done if atrocities on minorities continue in that country. Th

BIDAR: The Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Special Courts, Bengaluru, has issued a warrant against the Bidar deputy commissioner for not submitting a report in the land-grab case against Aurad MLA Prabhu Chavan. The order has been issued through the Bidar district Superintendent of Police to execute the warrant along with a surety bond of Rs 1 lakh. Case details Deepak Patil Chandori, former president of Chandori gram panchayat in Aurad taluk, had filed a case in the Karnataka Land Grabbing

BENGALURU: This Obattu during Ugadi is set to get sweeter. Tur dal prices, which have been steadily falling since October last year, have touched a historic low this week. Good quality dal has gone down by 57% to 61% (depending on the brand) in the wholesale market when compared to the price six months ago, say traders. The price of Channa dal too has slid to some extent. The excellent rains last year when the sowing was done for these crops has resulted in a bountiful yield, say those in the pr

BENGALURU: Kannada Okkuta leader and activist Vatal Nagarajs call for Karnataka bandh against the attack on a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for not speaking Marathi received a lukewarm response across the state, including Bengaluru. Kannada activists demanded that the state government issue an order banning Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in Belagavi to protect the interests of Kannadigas. While the bandh call received a mixed response in Mysuru, it failed to evoke any signifi