Byndoor JDS candidate Ravi Shetty gets threat call from Dubai
Udupi, May 4: Byndoor JDS candidate Ravi Shetty has reportedly got threatening call from Dubai from an unknown person who asked Shetty withdraw from contesting the election, according to a complaint lodged in Kollur police station.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Shetty said that when he was campaigning on May 3, he received an international call from an unknown person who threatened him to withdraw his candidature or face the consequence. Against this, he has lodged a complaint at Kollur police station and informed the deputy commissioner and the SP. Responding to his complaint, the department has provided security to him, he said.
He has received another call on April 17 from a local person who asked money for campaigning. When he declined to give money, he asked to join BJP. He has given that phone number also to the police. After two days of that call, someone has done black magic against him in front of his house. He has also complained against this to Byndoor police, he said.
As he has been trying to organize the party, some people have been trying to threaten him. He would not budge for such action, instead he would intensify the campaigning, he added.
Party district president Yogesh Shetty, state secretary Shekar Kotian, Byndoor constituency president Sandesh Bhat and spokesperson Pradeep G were present.
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Karnataka new excise policy: Local liquor to get costlier, premium may get cheaper
Bengaluru: The state government on Monday rolled out a new excise policy that shifts from the decades-old bulk litre-based system to a model based on alcohol content in beverages, Deccan Herald reported.
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to adopt this model. The change is expected to make lower-priced liquor costlier, while some premium brands may see a reduction in prices.
A senior Excise Department official said: “The policy is being implemented from today (May 11). The Karnataka Excise (Excise Duty and Charges) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified after a public consultation on a draft released on April 18, slashes the number of excise slabs from 16 to 8.”
Local liquor manufacturers have alleged that the policy favours multinational companies producing beer and spirits over domestic distilleries.
According to the Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association (KBDA), the first five slabs, which cater to the common man, house the maximum number of state-owned distilleries and contribute nearly 70-75% of the state’s excise revenue, have seen their Additional Excise Duty (AED) rise by 20-30%.
In contrast, slabs 6 to 8, which include products from multinational companies such as United Spirits, Bacardi, Heineken, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch, have seen AED reduced by 10-15%. The association said that while larger companies can absorb pricing shifts across their diverse portfolios, smaller regional distilleries limited to budget liquor may face volume contraction and potential closure.
A senior KBDA member said the price of a 180 ml bottle in the lowest slab, which was around Rs 63 last year, has already risen to Rs 80, and the new policy is set to push that price further to Rs 105 a jump driven by a 42.8% tax bracket.
