Dharmasthala case: Govt has given clearance, it is for SIT to submit charge sheet, says minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid reports that the SIT probing the allegations of "multiple murders, rapes and burials" in Dharmasthala is likely to file a charge sheet, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said, the government has given its clearance, and it is left for the investigating team on when to submit.
The SIT is likely to file the charge sheet before the Belthangady court very soon, sources said.
"We have given clearance to them (SIT) from the government. Submitting the charge sheet is left to the SIT. They will have to do it within 90 days," Parameshwara told reporters in response to a question about SIT filing charge sheet in Dharmasthala case.
Asked, has any information been shared with the government, he said, after submitting the chargesheet to the court, the SIT will share information with the government.
"Let the things in the chargesheet come out, what is there in it will be known. As SIT has been formed by the government, information will be shared with us," he said.
To a question, will the information in the chargesheet be shared and discussed during the upcoming legislature session starting from December 8, the Home Minister said, facts have to be updated to the House (legislature), where discussions have taken place regarding the case, in the past.
A controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of past two decades, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the state government, which is probing charges, has conducted excavations at multiple locations identified by the complainant in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains were found at two sites.
Later, the SIT, recently had again recovered some skeletal remains during a search operation in the Banglegudde forest area near the Nethravathi bathing ghat.
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Russian military hardware, spare parts for Indian military to be manufactured in India
New Delhi (PTI): Russia agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of military hardware and spare parts for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment.
Ways to bolster overall bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
It has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time, affecting the maintenance of military systems procured from that country.
"Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through transfer of technology," a joint statement said.
It said both sides also agreed to set up joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian armed forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
The joint statement said the India-Russia defence partnership is being reoriented to take up joint co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems.
In their meeting on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov resolved to expand bilateral defence cooperation.
In the meeting, the Indian side showed keen interest in procurement of additional batches of S-400 missile systems from Moscow to bolster its combat prowess.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Three squadrons have already been delivered.
The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor. India may also look at procuring the S-500 missile systems from Russia.
In the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides also agreed to continue jointly developing systems of bilateral trade settlements through the use of national currencies.
Additionally, the two sides agreed to continue their consultations on enabling the interoperability of the national payment systems, financial messaging systems, as well as central bank digital currency platforms.
Modi and Putin appreciated the ongoing intensification of the joint work on a free trade agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, covering sectors of mutual interest, the joint statement said.
They also directed both sides to intensify efforts in negotiations on a mutually beneficial agreement on the promotion and protection of investment, it said.
India and Russia also welcomed steps to ensure long-term supply of fertilisers to India and discussed the potential establishment of joint ventures in this area.
