Karnataka excise scam allegation: BJP-JD(S) go for overnight agitation inside Karnataka Assembly
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP and its ally JD(S) on Tuesday launched an overnight agitation in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly demanding state Excise Minister R B Timmapur’s resignation over allegations of corruption in his department.
The BJP alleged widespread corruption in the Excise Department, and bribe is demanded to issue liquor licences.
Opposition leader R Ashoka charged that the alleged scam is to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore.
He also alleged that the money was being used by the ruling Congress to fund the party in the poll-bound states.
The opposition had been alleging corruption in the department. The recent trigger was the arrest of Excise Deputy Commissioner of the Bengaluru Urban District Jagadeesh Naik and two other officials by the Lokayukta sleuths, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh on January 16.
According to Lokayukta officials, they were accused of demanding Rs 80 lakh to issue CL-7 (Hotels & Boarding Houses) and micro brewery licence.
The Minister had declined the BJP’s demand for his resignation, saying no ministers during the BJP government had ever stepped down.
"Corruption is not a new phenomenon, especially in my department," the minister said in the Assembly while replying to the opposition’s charge.
Timmapur said he was instrumental in reducing the corruption at every level and simplified the process of issuing licences after holding discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
There have been allegations against all the ministers by the Federation of Wine Merchants’ Association, right from J H Patel, Renukaswamy and Katta Subramanya Naidu. Now the federation has been non-existent for the past 20 years, the Minister said.
"After I became Minister, I simplified the process and brought in the system of counselling. I made a provision for renewal every five years because doing it annually makes it a problem. Wasn’t that a change? There were 16 login need for CL-7 where everyone used to delay the process. I reduced these logins to seven,” Timmapur claimed.
He said he knows that there are people having 20 to 100 benami licences.
"Shouldn’t the people from the weaker section get the licences? That’s why I brought E-Auction," the minister said.
As the BJP alleged that the officer caught by Lokayukta had mentioned the name of the minister in a purported audio, Timmapur said there were clear audios of a former chief minister involved in horse trading, but in his case, the officer in question was only misusing his name.
He added that there were many scams during the BJP rule, including the egg scam, APMC scam, Bhovi Development Corporation scam, Devaraj Urs Terminal scam, Ganga Kalyana scheme scam, Tourism department scam, KEONICS scam, Bitcoin, COVID-19 scam and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra’s property scams.
"How many ministers resigned? No one resigned. I introduced many reforms after discussing with the CM. My involvement is nil. Should I resign? What mistake I have I committed? I reject all these bogus stories of my involvement in corruption," he said.
He challenged the BJP leaders to prove their allegation.
“Your charges will neither bother me nor will it bog me down. I don’t need to resign,” Timmapur asserted.
Unsatisfied with the reply, the opposition raised slogans against the Congress government and the minister.
As the chaos continued, Speaker U T Khader adjourned the House for the day. Soon, the BJP and JD(S) MLAs trooped into the well of the House and started shouting slogans against the Congress government, demanding the minister's resignation.
Ashoka announced an overnight demonstration. The videos and photographs shared by Ashoka's office showed MLAs standing in the well of the House holding posters and placards.
"Until the minister resigns, we will hold the agitation inside the House," Ashoka said.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
