Karnataka-origin motel manager beheaded in US; co-worker arrested
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Houston (PTI): A 50-year-old Indian-origin motel manager in the US was beheaded in front of his wife and son in Texas following a dispute over a washing machine, police said.
The suspect, a co-worker with a criminal record, has been arrested and charged with capital murder.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning at the Downtown Suites motel in Dallas.
Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, was killed after a dispute over a broken washing machine with his co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, according to the Dallas Police Department.
Cobos-Martinez, 37, reportedly became enraged when Nagamallaiah asked another person to translate his instructions instead of addressing him directly.
Surveillance footage showed Cobos-Martinez retrieving a machete and attacking Nagamallaiah.
The victim fled toward the motel office where his wife and 18-year-old son were present, but the suspect pursued him, carrying out the assault despite their attempts to intervene.
Cobos-Martine, who has a prior criminal history in Houston, including arrests for auto theft and assault, is being held without bond.
If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
The Consulate General of India in Houston condoled the death of Nagamallaiah and said it is following up on the matter closely.
"We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of Dallas Police," it said in a post on X.
Known as Bob to friends and family, Nagamallaiah was remembered as a loving husband, devoted father, and kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he knew.
“This unimaginable tragedy was not only sudden but deeply traumatic,” friends said.
“Bob’s life was taken in a brutal attack that occurred in front of his wife and son, who bravely tried to protect him. The shocking nature of this event has shaken our community.”
Friends, family, and the local Indian community are coming together to support his family.
A fundraiser has been set up to help cover funeral expenses, immediate living costs, and his son's college education. Funeral services for Nagamallaiah are scheduled for Saturday.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
