A bike rider died on the spot in a bike-lorry collision in front of the Vidyarthi Bhavan here on Monday.

NR Vishu Kumar on Monday took charge as the Director of Information and Public Relations Department.

Primarily an officer of the Department of Information and Public Relations, NR Vishu Kumar served as the Director of the Kannada and Culture department.

 The legal team defending the main accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case seem to be preparing for a long, protracted battle. They have filed a petition against four magistrates of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) courts who presided over the proceedings of the cases and alleged lapses on their part in following the Supreme Court guidelines. They have been accused of dereliction of duty and acting with a strong bias against their clients, mainly Amol Kale, Suchith Kumar, Amit Degwekar and Manohar Edave – who are among the main suspects arrested in connection with plotting and executing Gauri Lankesh’s murder. These men are also implicated for the foiled murder attempt on KS Bhagwan, a Kannada writer. The high court is expected to take up the matter for hearing on Monday.

All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa said that in a way, he was responsible for the separate Veerashaiva-Lingayat religion row in the state.

Considering the prosecution’s objection that the accused was not given the chance for the cross examination by the sessions court, the Karnataka High Court has quashed the death penalty awarded to an accused in rape and murder of a six-year-old girl.

The main accused in the murder of two realtors, Tejas is said to be an active BJP Yuva Morcha leader and his photos with the party leaders are circulating in social media.

Writer Prof Chandrashekar Patil, popularly known as Champa, said that there was a need to create awareness among people against attack and assassination politics of BJP and Sangh Parivar on progressive activists, intellectuals and journalists.

In view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, AICC president Rahul Gandhi will visit the state on August 13 and launch his election campaign for Lok Sabha elections from  Karnataka, said KPCC working president Eshwara B Khandre.