BJP-Backed Gram Panchayat member arrested for illegal liquor sale in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Jayananda Kulal, a member of the Ganjimutt Gram Panchayat supported by the BJP, was arrested by Bajpe Police on Wednesday for the alleged illegal sale of liquor at a roadside shop in Mogaru village.
Jayananda Kulal, known for his active involvement in the Sangh Parivar, is reported to have close ties with Mangalore North MLA Dr. Y Bharat Shetty, as suggested by local Congress activists who shared a photo of the two on social media.
The arrest was made following charges of unlawfully selling liquor at a makeshift kiosk in Thekkemar, Mogaru village. Bajpe Police, on their routine patrol on Wednesday evening, observed customers fleeing from the kiosk upon noticing the police vehicle. This suspicious activity prompted the police to investigate further.
Upon inspection of the kiosk, the police discovered 18 tetra packs containing up to 90 ml of liquor from various brands. Jayananda Kulal, the proprietor of the kiosk, was taken into custody. The FIR filed against him alleges that he procured liquor from a nearby shop in Thekkemar and sold it at an inflated price in his kiosk.
Despite the incident occurring on December 27, Bajpe Police refrained from informing the media about the case, leading to criticism on social media. Concerns were raised regarding the absence of information on the police blog, where details of recent cases are typically uploaded. Users also noted the contrasting handling of a recent cattle transport case, which was made available on the police blog.
In response to allegations of discrimination, Bajpe Station Inspector Sandeep clarified that there was no bias in their actions. He explained that if a case is related to the Excise Department, a police officer might refuse information, and in such instances, it is advisable for the media to contact senior officers for details.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
