Karnataka: Obscene videos found in Hindu leader's mobile phone
Mangaluru (PTI): Moodbidri police have reportedly found over 50 obscene video clips from the mobile phone of Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Dakshina Kannada district co-convenor Samith Raj Dharegudde.
Dharegudde is currently out on bail in connection with a stone-pelting case involving a private bus.
Police during the investigation found the data from the leader's device.
Police, having secured permission from the court and senior officers, conducted a forensic data extraction at Mangaluru's CEN Lab.
During the process, officers were reportedly startled to find video content showing sexually explicit scenes involving both men and women.
Among the retrieved clips, one video is alleged to feature a prominent coastal politician.
In response to the findings, Moodbidri Inspector Sandesh has registered a separate FIR concerning the obscene content under relevant provisions.
Officials cited the potential risk of these videos being shared or circulated, which could harm public decency and social harmony.
Police are currently working to trace the origin of the videos and verify the identities of those depicted.
Officials confirmed that a fresh notice will be issued to summon Dharegudde for questioning with regard to the obscene video content.
Dhargegudde could not be reached to comment on the videos.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
