Bengaluru, Mar 27 (PTI): Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna's son and Congress MLC K N Rajendra on Thursday said officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police have begun a preliminary investigation into the alleged attempts to "honeytrap" his father and had visited his official residence.
He stated that he had met Karnataka DGP and IGP Alok Mohan today to share information regarding an alleged attempt to "murder" him.
"I believe the ('honeytrap' attempts) case has been handed over to the CID. The CID visited the government house (allocated to Rajanna) on Jayamahal Road here and questioned the staff. They have initiated a preliminary inquiry—this is the information I have," Rajendra said.
Speaking to reporters, he said since the DGP had assigned the case to the CID, they began their investigation today: "It is based on the petition submitted to the Home Minister."
On Tuesday, Rajanna had submitted a petition to State Home Minister G Parameshwara, seeking a probe and necessary action regarding the alleged attempts to "honeytrap" him.
Parameshwara stated that the government would examine Rajanna's petition judiciously within the framework of the law and take necessary action after consulting legal experts and discussing it with the Chief Minister.
Last Thursday, Rajanna informed the Assembly that "honeytrap" attempts had been made on him and that at least 48 politicians across parties had fallen victim to such schemes.
Asked whether he had filed a complaint regarding the "honeytrap" case with the DGP, Rajendra clarified that there was no such attempt against him.
He said he had only informed the media about certain phone calls.
"November 16 was my daughter's birthday. A day before, some individuals arrived to set up a 'shamiana'. Allegedly, they had come intending to assault or murder me on a supari (contract). Their attempt was unsuccessful. I learned about it in January after receiving a voice recording from my source," he claimed.
He mentioned that two names—Soma and Bharath—surfaced in the recording, which captured a conversation between two individuals discussing a Rs 5 lakh payment made to their account.
Rajendra said he had recently brought this matter to the attention of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who advised him to gather all relevant information and submit it to the DGP.
"I don't know the two people mentioned in the conversation nor their intentions. I have brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. I have also submitted the audio recording and all related information to the DG, who advised me to approach the SP (Tumakuru) and file a complaint there, which I will do tomorrow," he added.
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Mangaluru: Record-holder swimmer K Chandrashekhar Rai Surikumeru (52), who was known for performing yoga and somersaults underwater, died of drowning in the Mangaluru City Corporation swimming pool on Sunday.
Rai, who was a native of Surikumeru near Kalladka in Bantwal taluk, lived in Kudroli, Mangaluru. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
He had been employed as a lifeguard at the swimming pool in Udupi under contract-basis and was working as manager of the MCC swimming pool for three years. He also worked as a lifeguard and swimming trainer.
On Sunday morning, Rai is said to have handed the security guard of the pool his mobile phone, saying he would practice for some time, but shortly after diving into the pool, he died of suffocation.
The post-mortem examination of his body was conducted at the District Wenlock Hospital and the funeral rites were held at his native place, Rai’s brother Radhakrishna Rai has said.
Rai, known for his skills in swimming, had entered the Worldwide Book of Records in 2023 by performing 28 front flip somersaults in a single stretch.