BJP MLA Sunil Kumar demands forensic test of Karnataka CM's signature amid fake-note row
Bengaluru (PTI): A day after police registered a case over a fake note purportedly issued from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Karnataka, BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar escalated his attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, demanding a forensic probe into the document and questioning the CMO's functioning.
Police registered the case against an unidentified person on Friday, following a complaint from the CMO over the circulation on social media of the fake note, which falsely claimed that a district health and family welfare officer in Mandya was posted as the deputy commissioner of excise in Mysuru.
The case was lodged at the Vidhana Soudha police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions relating to forgery and the use of forged documents.
The CMO has alleged that the act was carried out with malicious intent to bring disrepute to the chief minister and the Congress government in the southern state.
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"If the letter bearing the Chief Minister's signature itself is fake, should we not reflect on how the Chief Minister's Office is functioning?" Kumar asked in a post on X a day after the case was filed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karkala said the controversy raises serious questions on administrative oversight.
"This clearly shows that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is now focussed only on the chair and not on the functioning of his office," he alleged.
Demanding a forensic examination, Kumar said, "If this letter is fake, then the authenticity of the signature on it must also be established. Therefore, the signature should be subjected to examination by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine whether it is genuine or forged. It would not be surprising if this turns out to be a major 'letterhead' scam operating within the Chief Minister's Office."
He further questioned the circumstances under which the document surfaced.
"Why did the Chief Minister sign a letter without a date? Who were the persons who got the letter signed? What benefit did they derive from it? All these aspects should come out through an investigation. Otherwise, the investigation ordered by Siddaramaiah would appear to be a 'kill the messenger' tactic," he said.
Stating that he had cited the letter believing it to be genuine, Kumar said, "Like Siddaramaiah, I too am a person in public life -- a responsible MLA in the Opposition. Believing the letter I received to be genuine, I cited it as an example of administrative lapses in the government."
He also said that those claiming the letter to be fake have a responsibility to seek a thorough probe.
"Those who argue that the letter is fake also bear some responsibility, because it carries the signature of the Chief Minister of the state. Before declaring the letter itself as fake, there should also be an investigation into the alleged 'letterhead' scam," Kumar added.
In his response to the development, Siddaramaiah on Friday described the creation and circulation of the fake note as a condemnable and very serious crime, and urged social-media users to verify information before sharing it, warning that spreading unverified content in the era of Photoshop or artificial intelligence (AI) could also amount to a crime.
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
