Rajasthan minister Meghwal gets threat call demanding Rs 70 lakh; caller traced to Malaysia: Police
Bikaner/Jaipur, Jun 8: Rajasthan minister Govind Ram Meghwal, who was staying at a resort in Udaipur along with other Congress MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, was allegedly threatened by a man who demanded Rs 70 lakh from him.
IG (Bikaner) Omprakash said the caller identified as Sethi Ram alias Sunil Bishnoi was traced to Malaysia.
The officer said Sunil made an internet call to the disaster and relief management minister on Tuesday and threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to make the payment.
"Around a dozen people who were in touch with the caller have been detained and are being interrogated," Omprakash said.
According to police, Sunil, who belongs to Bikaner, had gone to Malaysia two-and-a-half years ago along with his friends -- Aman Bishnoi, Amarjeet and Rakesh Kumar. He started working there as a security guard.
Though Amarjeet and Aman returned, Rakesh and Sunil stayed back in Malaysia, they said.
The IG said Amarjeet, Aman and 12 others have been detained in this regard.
It is being investigated whether the accused have connections with any gangs, he said.
Superintendent of Police Yogesh Yadav earlier said the caller had identified himself as a member of SOPU gang, and also issued a threat to the minister's family members who live in Bikaner.
Meanwhile, the security outside the minister's residence in Vyas Colony has been tightened.
Meghwal later returned to Jaipur from Udaipur along with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday.
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Karnataka Assembly passes hate speech bill amid din
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 18 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed a bill against hate speech amid a din.
The Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, the first such law in the country, has a provision for a jail term up to seven years and fine up to Rs one lakh.
It was passed amid din by the BJP MLAs.
The bill, cleared by the cabinet on December 4, was presented in the House by Home Minister G Parameshwara on December 10.
The Minister said the provision for 10 years jail term in the event of repeated offence has been reduced to seven years.
According to the bill, any expression, which is made, published or circulated in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communication or otherwise, in public view, with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person alive or dead, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest, is hate speech.
During the discussion, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said coastal Karnataka is "burning" due to hate speech and hate crime.
BJP MLAs from the region raised objections to this and then trooped into the well of the house. Other BJP legislators followed them.
Later, the bill was passed.
