Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pays floral tribute to veteran actress Saroja Devi
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday offered floral tribute to legendary actress B Saroja Devi, who died at her residence in Malleswaram here.
The 87-year-old actress died on Monday due to age-related illness.
Her last rites will be performed in her native village Dhashavara in Channapatna Taluk of Mandya district today.
Speaking to reporters after paying homage at the late actor's home in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister described her demise as "a major loss to the entire film industry."
"B Saroja Devi entered the film industry at a very tender age and served it for nearly 70 years. At a young age, she earned the title of 'Abhinaya Saraswati' and became a multi-talented actress who worked in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films," Siddaramaiah said.
Saroja Devi brought life into the characters she portrayed and acted alongside leading actors of her era, including M G Ramachandran, N T Rama Rao, Shivaji Ganesan, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and Dr Rajkumar, he added.
The Chief Minister also said that Saroja Devi had immensely contributed to the growth of the Kannada film industry.
He further stated, "The film industry has suffered a huge loss in her death. On my behalf, and on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, I pray for her soul to rest in peace and for strength to her family members to bear this loss."
Siddaramaiah also announced that state honours would be accorded at her cremation, which will be held in her native village.
He also recalled having met Saroja Devi on several occasions.
"She was always warm and affectionate. I have also watched some of her memorable films such as Kittur Rani Chennamma, Bhagyavanthalu, Babruvahana, and Nyayave Devaru," he recalled.
Born on January 7, 1938, in Bengaluru, Saroja Devi rose to become one of Indian cinema's most celebrated and iconic actresses.
She made her film debut in the early 1950s and went on to feature in over 180 films across multiple languages.
Known for her elegance, powerful screen presence, and versatile acting, she quickly gained fame.
Her performances in films like Kittur Rani Chennamma, Sasural, Anbe Vaa and Enga Veettu Pillai are remembered as landmarks in Indian film history.
Saroja Devi was particularly known for her historical and mythological roles, portraying strong female characters with conviction and grace.
She was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri from the Government of India, and the Dr Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award from the Karnataka government.
Following the news of her demise, condolences poured in from all corners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Karnataka ministers, political leaders, and prominent personalities from the Indian film industry paid tribute to the departed soul, recognising her enduring legacy and invaluable contributions to Indian cinema.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
