Bengaluru, Jul 18 (PTI): A man was arrested for allegedly using abusive language and derogatory comments against Karnataka and Kannada-speaking people, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred on July 17 at around 9.30 am, when Ranjith Mathew, a delivery partner, called a customer, identified as Mithun Sarkar, to confirm the address to deliver a T-shirt ordered by him through an online platform, they said.

Sarkar, who hails from Tripura, has been living in Bengaluru for the past nine years and claimed that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of incident, police said. He was arrested on Thursday night.

According to the FIR, Mathew said that during the call, Sarkar allegedly responded to him in Hindi and began verbally abusing him, making insulting remarks about Kannada, Karnataka, and Kannadigas.

In his complaint, he further said that Sarkar claimed "Seventy per cent Hindi speakers are here," and used vulgar language aimed at humiliating him and belittling the Kannada-speaking community.

Based on his complaint, a case was registered at Bommanahalli police station under sections 196(1)(a) (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.

"The accused who was arrested in the case alleged that he was under the influence of alcohol when he made such remarks. But we need to verify. An investigation is underway to ascertain his claim," he added.

Get all the latest, breaking news from Karnataka in a single click. CLICK HERE to get all the latest news from Karnataka.

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.



Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.

Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.

The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.

The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.

Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.

Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.

The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.

The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.

According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).