Bengaluru: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, stating that all 224 MLAs in the state are aware of the rampant corruption and commission-related dealings within the administration.

Speaking to the media outside his residence in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy claimed, "In order to implement any government scheme in their constituencies, MLAs are forced to make payments. This has become the norm under the current Congress government."

Taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he questioned, “Does this Chief Minister have any sense of dignity? He continues to shield corrupt individuals and keeps such people in his cabinet.”

The minister alleged that corruption in the state government has reached an unchecked level, affecting every legislator. “There’s no end to this commission racket. Every MLA is facing difficulties because of it. Even street-side discussions are now centered on the Housing Department's malpractice. Are these departments or dens of wrongdoing? Are these people ministers?” he asked.

Questions H.K. Patil’s silence until now

Targeting Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil, Kumaraswamy raised doubts about his recent demand for an investigation into irregularities in the mining sector.

“H.K. Patil has been a minister in this government for two years. Why has he written a letter seeking investigation only now? What was he doing all this time? Back in 2015-16, it was the same Patil who had recommended a probe into mining. Has he been worshipping that report every day since then?” Kumaraswamy said sarcastically.

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Thane (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter.

Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack.

Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused's daughter, were examined during the trial.

According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes.

The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character.

On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law's residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.

The court defended the testimony of the victim's 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child's account:

"...they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt."

The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a "bomb-like thing" and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.

The victim's brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.

The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.