Action on Dharmasthala case based on SIT report: Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Aug 16 (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said the government will take a decision on action against wrong doings or conspiracies in connection with the Dharmasthala case based on the SIT probe report.
The Special Investigation Team, formed by the state government, is probing charges of multiple murders, rapes, and burials in different places in Dharmasthala, over the past two decades.
The complainant-witness, a former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been revealed, has claimed that he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, and that he was forced to bury a number of bodies, including those of women and minors.
He had alleged that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault. He has also given a statement before a magistrate in this regard.
"I can't say anything as of now. Anything can be said only based on the probe report. Whether it is an interim report or a final report. Until the report comes, I cannot comment on the matter," Parameshwara said in response to a question about taking action against alleged conspiracies or wrong doings in connection with the Dharmasthala case.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Once the report comes, we will all sit together, discuss and make an appropriate decision."
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
The BJP has been critical of the government's handling of the investigation and its inaction against what they called a "slender campaign" targeting Dharmasthala and the temple there.
They demanded an interim report from the government and action against the complainant and others allegedly behind him, claiming the allegations were part of a "toolkit to denigrate Hindu gods and their places of worship."
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has also alleged a "conspiracy" to tarnish Dharmasthala's image, and has expressed confidence that it will come to light through the ongoing investigation.
Parameshwara is expected to reply to a debate on the Dharmasthala issue in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
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West Asia: India supplied 22,000 MT of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh in March, says MEA
New Delhi (PTI): Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, India has supplied 22,000 metric tonnes of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh in March and has received a request from Seychelles and the Maldives to meet their energy requirements, the MEA said on Friday.
At his weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in his response to a query related to requests received from India's neighbouring countries for fuel amid the West Asia situation, also said that India is "finalising a government-to-government agreement" for the supply of oil and gas, which will play an important role in reinforcing energy security of Mauritius.
The conflict in West Asia has now stretched to nearly 50 days, with global ramifications.
"So, we have received requests from our neighbouring countries for supply of fuel, and these are being looked into, keeping in mind our own requirements, availability and refining capacity," Jaiswal told reporters.
He further said India has "supplied 22,000 metric tonnes of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh in March 2026, and further supplies have continued this month as well".
"You would recall that last month we had supplied 38 metric tonnes of petroleum products to Sri Lanka as well," he added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Mauritius last week, the MEA spokesperson said, adding, "We are finalising a government-to-government agreement for supply of oil and gas, which will play an important role in reinforcing the energy security of Mauritius".
As far as Nepal is concerned, there is an existing arrangement between Indian Oil Corporation and Nepal Oil Corporation to supply petroleum products to Nepal as per its requirements. The supplies are continuing without any interruption, he said.
Energy supplies to Bhutan also continue according to the existing arrangement.
"As I had mentioned earlier, we have received a request from Seychelles and the Maldives to meet their energy requirements. We continue to be in touch with them in this regard, and are considering the request keeping in mind our own domestic requirements and availability of fuel.
"I would also like to add that our neighbouring country governments have expressed appreciation for the uninterrupted supply, fuel supply to them during the West Asian conflict," Jaiswal said.
Global oil and gas prices surged after Iran restricted the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG trade.
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