Smugglers kill anti-drugs activist in Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 1 : An activist who had been fighting drugs smugglers and local criminals in south Delhi's Taimoor Nagar was gunned down by two suspected smugglers who came to buy drugs near his residence, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday night at around 9 p.m. when the victim, Rupesh, 28, was playing with his children outside his residence. The attackers first stabbed a drug peddler when they did not get fine quality drugs from him and later attacked Rupesh.
CCTV installed outside Rupesh's residence captured the attackers running away. One who was wearing a white cap opened fire at Rupesh after Rupesh objected to their abusive language, the victim's wife Monica told IANS.
"I was standing at the balcony and witnessed the crime. I raised an alarm and ran to help my husband. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries," she said.
"My husband and his elder brother Umesh along with locals launched an anti-drug campaign in Taimoor Nagar. They had earlier sent complaints to the local police station, the DCP's office and also the Police Commissioner but nothing happened. Some drug smugglers had threatened my husband and his brother," she said.
Hundreds of people blocked traffic on the major roads for a couple of hours, demanding the early arrest of the killers. A mob torched a motorcycle and damaged a few vehicles in the area before the police used force to disperse the stone-pelting crowd.
"We have detained some drug smugglers and are trying to identify the accused. We will soon nab the attackers," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.
The victim's family demanded police protection for Umesh.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
