BJP MLA Munirathna asks Speaker to ensure he gets protection
Bengaluru: BJP legislator Munirathna has requested Speaker UT Khader to ensure protection for him and cited instances when people threw eggs at him when he was on the streets, tore his shirt and also applied ash on his face.
Speaking during the debate in the Assembly on Thursday on the Governor's speech, Munirathna pointed out that Ballari witnessed violence following disagreement regarding putting up a banner and a flex and also urged the Speaker to ban the use of flexes.
“There are 138 bars in Rajarajeshwarinagar, the constituency I represent. FIRs are being filed against women who have been asking for the closure of these bars. Officers refuse to give people information on legal guidelines regarding bars and restaurants. I have filed about 1,380 RTI applications, but the officers have rejected the pleas,” the BJP leader told the Speaker.
Munirathna also complained that he had asked for protection as he feared that he could be attacked in his constituency, but was denied a gunman. “I had to appeal to the Supreme Court, which responded positively and directed that I be provided a gunman. I also had to request the Chief Minister directly, after which, a gunman was appointed for my protection,” he said.
The MLA accused Deputy CM DK Shivakumar of claiming that Muniratna's rival, who lost the polls from Rajarajeshwarinagar, was the local MLA and interfering in matters related to the constituency. “It is unbecoming of him to harass an elected representative and interfere in his works in a sadistic manner. Police officers are assigned to my constituency only if a complaint or a rape case is filed against the MLA,” he added.
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Illegal betting case: ED attaches ₹177 crore assets linked to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra
Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached assets worth ₹177.3 crore belonging to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as ‘Puppy’, and his associates in connection with an illegal online betting and gambling case, Deccan Herald reported.
According to the ED, the attached properties include immovable assets such as agricultural land and residential sites, along with other movable assets. The agency said these assets are believed to be proceeds of crime generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities.
The ED claimed that its investigation uncovered that Veerendra and his associates were the masterminds behind a nationwide illegal online betting network operating with the same modus operandi.
“The investigation has established that the accused generated substantial proceeds of crime by cheating the public through online betting and impersonation scams. In the scheme, unsuspecting players were induced to stake money on rigged illegal gaming websites, which functioned like online casinos. Their deposits, running into crores of rupees, were collected through payment gateways into designated payment aggregator accounts,” Deccan Herald quoted the agency as saying.
“The victims were initially shown fake winnings to build trust and were later blocked from withdrawing money. The investigation revealed the use of hundreds of mule accounts and multiple payment gateways for laundering the proceeds of crime,” the agency said.
Earlier, the ED carried out search and seizure operations at more than 60 locations across several states, during which large quantities of cash, gold bullion, gold and silver jewellery, vehicles, digital devices and incriminating documents were seized.
The ED also arrested Veerendra under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and a prosecution complaint has been filed before the Special PMLA court. Based on the evidence gathered, the agency has provisionally attached properties held directly and indirectly by him, which are believed to be linked to money laundering.
“With this, the ED has attached assets worth more than ₹320 crore in the present case under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. Further, during the course of the investigation, proceeds of crime exceeding ₹2,300 crore have been identified so far, which were generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities and subsequently laundered through multiple layers of transactions,” the agency said.
