Chairman of K'taka Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti ends ties with JD(S), to join BJP
Hubballi, Apr 3: Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti on Sunday said he would join the BJP and likely be its candidate for the upcoming MLC polls from West Teachers' constituency.
Horatti, elected as MLC seven successive times from 1980, has ended his association with the JD(S).
"...the time has come to join (BJP), not sure when...all (BJP) leaders have told me, I have also accepted it...they have not announced a candidate from this constituency for my sake," Horatti said.
Speaking to reporters, he said JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy too said he has no objections to Horatti's decision.
"I'm still the chairman, I will join the BJP ahead of filing nomination, once the elections are declared....all leaders, including Chief Minister (Basavaraj Bommai) and Yediyurappa (BJP leader), have agreed. Yediyurappa called me yesterday (Saturday) and said J P Nadda (BJP national president) has agreed, things are almost final," he added.
Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, Horatti was seen as JD(S)'s prominent face from north Karnataka.
He had been State Education Minister, and been elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.
The MLC polls from graduates' and teachers' constituencies are expected in June or July.
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
