"...undeclared emergency in Karnataka": Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje attacks Cong govt.
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday alleged that there seems to be an "undeclared emergency" in Karnataka, and likened Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Hitler, as she hit out at the Congress government for filing cases against her and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka.
She said that neither she nor her party workers and leaders will be cowed down by such cases and threats and that they will continue to fight the government's alleged "appeasement politics."
FIRs have been registered against Karandlaje and Ashoka on the charges of allegedly sharing "false information" on social media in connection with the recent violence at Nagamangala town in Mandya district.
"There is a kind of undeclared emergency in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah has become Hitler after becoming the Chief Minister. FIRs are being registered against BJP parliamentarians and legislators continuously. For the first time in the history of the state, FIRs have been registered against the Leader of Opposition and a Central minister, also against Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya," Karandlaje said.
Addressing a press conference here, the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment said FIRs have been also registered against BJP legislators like Harish Poonja, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad and Bharath Shetty, and "in this way the Congress is trying to suppress BJP and its leaders."
"I want to ask Siddaramaiah regarding -- Ivan D'Souza (Congress leader) had threatened the Governor with Bangladesh-like consequence, our Mangaluru workers are everyday going to police station, giving complaint, but still it has not been taken up, till today no FIR has been registered against him," she said.
Further pointing out that no case has been registered against Yadgir Congress MLA Channareddy Tunnur and his son in a case linked to the death of Police Sub-Inspector Parashuram, and Special Investigation Team probe report has not mentioned the name of former Minister B Nagendra in the multi-crore Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam, Karandlaje asked: "what are you trying to turn Karnataka into?"
Questioning as to what was the mistake on her part or Ashoka and for what crime FIRs were registered against them, she said it looks like questioning the government was their crime. "To appease minorities, you (govt) are murdering democracy....a government that should function in accordance with the Constitution is not there in Karnataka," she alleged.
Alleging that "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans were raised in CM's home district of Mysuru during Eid-e-Milad procession on Monday, she said, "because of the Congress government's lenient stand, and its appeasement politics, you are making Karnataka's majority Hindus a scapegoat."
Alleging that BJP and Hindu activists are being threatened by filing cases, Karandlaje said: "This is Siddaramaiah's administration. I urge you to leave this mindset. We will not be cowed down by such threats, file hundred FIRs if you want, we won't fear and will continue to fight....people will teach you a lesson."
Citing the violence in Nagamangala during a Ganesh idol procession, she sought to know as to who are those behind the violence and torching shops and vehicles.
"As per reports people had come from Kerala, who are they, how and why did they come? You (govt) have tried to shut Nagamangala violence case. Your police are trying to close the case as though it was a non-incident. (G) Parameshwara (Home Minister) says it was a minor incident..." she alleged, as she questioned as to why the CM or Home Minister did not visit Nagamangala.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
