Sudha Murthy-Sambhaji Bhide encounter raises eyebrows
Mumbai, Nov 8: A video showing author and philanthropist Sudha Murthy bowing before the leader of a right wing outfit in Maharashtra has gone viral, evoking sharp reactions.
Sambhaji Bhide, whose feet the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy is seen touching in the video, was recently served a notice by the State Women's Commission for refusing to talk to a woman journalist because she had no bindi' on her forehead.
Bhide had asked the woman journalist to apply bindi' before speaking to him and not be "like a widow" by not applying the coloured dot/sticker on the centre of the forehead.
The latest viral video is from Sangli in western Maharashtra, where Sudha Murthy was on Monday to interact with her readers at a promotional event of her books, many of which have been translated into Marathi.
A functionary of Bhide's Shiv Pratishthan outfit said his leader met Sudha Murthy for help in installation of a golden throne at Raigad fort, the erstwhile capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
However, an aide to Sudha Murthy, mother-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said the author wasn't aware who Bhide was and had bowed to him out of respect for a senior citizen.
Yojana Yadav, editorial head at Mehta Publishing House which organized the Sangli event claimed local police insisted that Bhide should be allowed to meet Sudha, despite not being invited for the event.
"Sudha Murthy had refused to meet anyone but Bhide's supporters arrived at the event without any invitation. With the presence of a large number of Bhide's supporters outside the auditorium, the local police came under pressure and requested us to let Bhide met Murthy, who was then interacting with the readers," Yadav told PTI.
"The pressure was so much that a visibly annoyed Sudha Murthy had to discontinue her interaction with her readers and went out to meet Bhide. She was not aware who Bhide was, so she asked me his age. She bowed before him out of respect accorded to elders," she said.
"She later told me that Bhide wanted to speak to her for one and a half hours but she told him that she did not have more than one and a half minute for him," Yadav said.
Yadav also said that she later cautioned Sudha Murthy that the visual of that meeting with Bhide could be used for propaganda.
Reacting to the meeting, senior journalist Nikhil Wagle tweeted, "What was achieved by touching the feet of such a meeting such a notorious person?"
Aam Aadmi Party national executive member Preeti Sharma Menon tweeted, "Trust she wore a bindi. When people like Sudha Murthy meet bigots like Bhide, they reveal their true colours."
Social activist Vishwambhar Choudhari tweeted," There is something messed up with us, or else Sudha Murthy would not have buckled under pressure to meet Bhide, leave aside touching his feet."
Maharashtra | Author & philanthropist Sudha Murthy met and took blessings from Shiv Pratishthan founder Sambhajirao Bhide during an event in Sangli yesterday pic.twitter.com/VYm34y1MNI
— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2022
सुधा मूर्ती यांनीच हा व्हिडिओ ट्विटरवर टाकलाय. जर नाईलाजाने भेट झाली तर अशा बदनाम माणसाच्या पाया पडून काय साध्य झालं? https://t.co/ri3xBG2h7r
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) November 8, 2022
Trust she wore a #Bindi.
— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) November 8, 2022
When people like Sudha Murthy meet bigots like Bhide, they reveal their true colours. https://t.co/U8evfkejRQ
— Sudha_murthy (@sudhamurty) November 8, 2022
Once upon a time, she questioned ‘only men’ policy of TELCO and stood against men dominance
— Punam Singh✨ (@Its_punam) November 8, 2022
Now taking blessings from a man who refused to talk a journalist cos she was not wearing a Bindi
What a fall Mrs Sudha Murthy 😞😞 https://t.co/PcNjdr9QTl
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KCOCA invoked against two accused in land dispute murder case
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Police have invoked provisions of the stringent KCOCA against two people in connection with a series of violent crimes, including murder, arising out of a prolonged land dispute in this district, officials said on Monday.
According to police, section 3 of the KCOCA was invoked after an assessment revealed the accused persons' - gangster Kali Yogish and alleged land shark Yogish Acharya- alleged involvement in multiple serious offences over a sustained period.
Accused Yogish has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody by a special KCOCA court in Mysuru, while gangster Kali, who is absconding, is believed to be residing abroad.
The case dates back to December 2022, when Kaup police registered an assault case against the accused duo and their associates for allegedly attacking a person identified as Chandrashekhar and others following a dispute over land ownership.
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The conflict escalated in March 2023 with the murder of a person identified as Sharath Shetty. Police said Shetty was allegedly killed for refusing to support Yogish and for assisting Chandrashekar in the land dispute.
A murder case was registered at Kaup police station, with Chandrashekar cited as a key witness in both cases.
Police further stated that on October 20, 2025, Chandrashekar received a threat at around 8.15 pm, warning him against deposing in court. He was allegedly asked to resolve a financial dispute with Yogish Acharya and threatened with death if he failed to comply.
Based on his complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The investigation was supervised by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Karkala subdivision, Harsha Priyamvada.
Accused Yogish Acharya was initially arrested on October 24, 2025, and later released on bail. He was subsequently re-arrested after the invocation of KCOCA and remanded to judicial custody, police said.
