Railway Minister Vaishnaw shifts blame to Karnataka govt over Bengaluru Metro rail fare hike
Bengaluru, Feb 15 (PTI): Amid public outcry over the steep hike in Metro rail fare in Bengaluru, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday shifted the blame to the state government, saying the fare fixation committee for the Metro Rail is not based in Delhi.
He said the Chief Minister should be asked about the hike in Metro rail fare and not the central government.
“The state government knows the ground reality of the city and they should be in the prime decision making process for every metro project. So please ask this question to the state Chief Minister,” Vaishnaw said, addressing a press conference here.
“Regarding Fare hiking, the question should be asked to the state government. The Price Fixation Committee is not from Delhi. The price fixation proposal has to be prepared by the State government.”
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According to Vaishnaw, the state government is responsible for everything related to Metro Rail and they should be asked about the hike in fare.
A week ago, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) announced a fare hike, doubling Metro prices in the city, citing increased operational costs and the need to repay loans.
It also increased the fare by five per cent during the ‘peak hour’ taking a cue from the ride hailing taxi services.
After people vented their anger and gave a representation to the state government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the BMRCL Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao to address the anomalies where the prices have doubled in certain sections.
The hike had been in the pipeline, and according to Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre had instructed the BMRCL to put the proposed hike on hold last month.
In a post on ‘X’ on January 29, Mohan said, “BMRCL’s proposed 45% metro fare hike, set for Feb 1, has been put on hold. The Modi government has directed BMRCL to submit a comprehensive report before making any decision. A big win for the people of Bengaluru—ensuring transparency, accountability, and fair metro pricing.”
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
