Court denies anticipatory bail to BJP MLA in rowdy sheeter murder case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Special Court for People's Representatives on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, in connection with the murder of rowdy sheeter.
The case pertains to the murder of Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shivu, who was hacked to death in the city in July 15 this year.
With the dismissal of the bail application, Basavaraj, who is alleged to be currently untraceable can be arrested any time by the investigating agency.
On December 19, Karnataka High Court had also rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Basavaraj in connection with the murder case. During the course of the investigation, the police began probing the alleged role of Basavaraj in the crime, who has been named as the fifth accused in the FIR.
ALSO READ: Karnataka police constable arrested for forging passport verification records
Senior advocate Sandesh Chauta appeared on behalf of Basavaraj, while Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashok Naik represented the CID in the Special Court.
SPP Naik placed a copy of the charge sheet before the court and pointed out that crucial tower location details are recorded on page 298 of the document.
He informed the court that there is evidence of a telephone conversation between accused No.1 and No.5. Naik argued that further crucial links in the case would emerge only after Basavaraj's arrest and custodial interrogation, and hence opposed the grant of anticipatory bail.
Countering the prosecution's claims, senior advocate Chauta contended that the case against Basavaraj is based on assumptions of conspiracy and intent, with no concrete evidence to support it.
He submitted that even five months after the incident, the investigating agency had failed to gather material establishing his client's involvement in the murder.
Chauta further argued that accused No.1, Jaga, was attempting to artificially link Basavaraj to the case by citing social interactions such as attending a birthday party and a visit to the Kumbh Mela, none of which, he said, had any connection to the alleged murder plot.
He also claimed that despite Basavaraj expressing willingness to cooperate with the investigation, no summons had been issued to him. On these grounds, the defence sought anticipatory bail.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt reserved the order earlier in the day and later pronounced the rejection of the bail plea.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AI-powered robotic canal cleaning system commissioned in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) (PTI): In a major step to phase out manual scavenging and ensure the safety of sanitation workers, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation commissioned G-Spider, an AI-powered robotic canal-cleaning system, at the Amayizhanchan canal near the railway station premises at Thampanoor here, officials said on Thursday.
The system was launched by Minister for Local Self-Governments MB Rajesh at a function presided over by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor VV Rajesh on Wednesday.
The AI-powered canal cleaning project is a joint initiative of the city corporation and Technopark-based Genrobotic Innovations, which developed Bandicoot, a robotic scavenger.
As per the agreement, Genrobotics will bear the full cost of deploying the robotic system, while the corporation will supervise its operation and maintenance.
Speaking at the event, the minister said Genrobotics has set an example of how innovative ideas can be transformed into impactful entrepreneurship.
He said that of the seven compressed biogas (CBG) plants to be commissioned in the state for solid waste management, one will be set up in the state capital.
Rajesh said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Rs 100-crore CBG plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi on February 28, adding that 90 per cent of the nine lakh metric tonne of accumulated waste at the site has already been removed.
He further said work on the Palakkad plant will be completed in February, while construction of another plant in Thrissur is progressing, and a plant at Changanassery is in the pipeline.
The minister added that the construction of four sanitary plants will be inaugurated next week.
In his address, the mayor reiterated the corporation’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for waste management and lauded the Genrobotics team, stating that the civic body would explore all possible ways to utilise the company’s technology.
Repeated manual cleaning efforts in the area had led to serious safety incidents, including the death of sanitation worker Joy in 2024.
In this backdrop, the corporation initiated the deployment of robotic cleaning technology in strict compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, with the aim of eliminating human entry into hazardous canal-cleaning operations, officials said.
Corporation Deputy Mayor Asha Nath GS, Divisional Railway Manager Divyakant Chandrakar, and Genrobotic Innovations CEO and co-founder Vimal Govind MK were present on the occasion.
G-Spider is designed to operate in complex, high-risk canal environments without requiring human entry.
Built on a cable-driven parallel robotics architecture integrated with AI-enabled vision and sensor systems, the robotic platform enables precise detection, assessment and removal of accumulated waste.
The system uses machine vision and intelligent sensors to autonomously identify and assess waste in real time, dynamically adapting to varying waste types, water flow conditions and structural constraints within canals, officials said.
Guided by AI-driven vision algorithms, the robotic mechanism performs precise waste extraction through a five-degrees-of-freedom configuration, enabling accurate positioning, stable gripping, and reliable debris removal.
The extracted waste is automatically transferred to designated collection vehicles, enabling a fully hands-free, end-to-end canal cleaning process from detection to disposal, they added.
