Karnataka loses Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds in three years: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that over the last three years, people in the state have lost Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds, of which the police have managed to recover Rs 627 crore so far.
The minister was responding to a question from Sakleshpur BJP MLA Cement Manju in the Legislative Assembly.
"Cyber fraud has been increasing in recent times. In the last four years, about 52,000 cyber frauds have taken place in Karnataka, and the numbers are rising day by day," Parameshwara said.
He pointed out that the government had planned to curb cyber fraud by introducing an amendment to police laws. However, the All India Gaming Federation obtained a court stay on the amendment, and the matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court.
"The matter is listed for December 19," he added.
Parameshwara stated that while over 22,000 cyber fraud cases were filed in 2023, only a limited number were identified, leading to losses of Rs 873 crore, of which Rs 177 crore was recovered.
Cyber frauds in 2024 resulted in losses of over Rs 2,500 crore from around 22,400 cases, with more than Rs 300 crore recovered by authorities, he added.
For 2025, the minister said, cyber fraud cases have dropped to roughly 13,000 following government measures, with losses exceeding Rs 2,000 crore and recoveries of Rs 125 crore so far.
He described cyber fraud as a significant challenge not only for Karnataka but for the entire country.
Parameshwara also highlighted that Karnataka was the first state in India to create a dedicated cyber vertical headed by a Director General of Police.
"Karnataka is waging a big fight against cyber fraud, and efforts are ongoing to bring down the number of cases," he said, adding that the state currently has 43 cyber police stations under a central cyber command.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
