Cong writes to K'taka DG-IGP against BJP candidate's audio clip plotting Kharge's assasination
Bengaluru: An audio clip containing a criminal conspiracy to eliminate Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge and his family members by BJP candidate Manikanta Rathore has gone viral on social media. The clip is reportedly a mobile phone conversation between Rathore and one of his associates and runs for 51 seconds. The voice has been identified as that of Rathore, who is the official BJP candidate for the Chittapur (AC-40) reserved constituency in the Gulbarga district.
The audio clip has raised concerns about the safety of Kharge and his family members and has prompted the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Vice Chairman of Media Wing Ramesh Babu to write a letter to the Director General and Inspector General of Police, seeking action against Rathore. In the letter, Babu alleges that the BJP candidate is a habitual offender with over 40 criminal cases against him, and has a history of serious offences such as attempts to murder, assault, threats to life, illegally storing diesel, disturbing public peace, and cheating.
Babu also claims that Rathore has not furnished complete details of criminal cases registered against him in his nomination papers, which is a clear violation of the election code of conduct and the Supreme Court guidelines judgment rendered in WP.No. 536/2011. According to Babu, the concerned returning officer should have rejected Rathore's nomination papers on this basis.
The letter also alleges that the BJP leaders might be actively involved in the conspiracy, citing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent campaign speech in Chittapur, in which he allegedly stated that illegal means were used in the 2019 parliament elections to defeat Kharge and that the same tactics would be adopted to defeat his son, Priyanka Kharge, in the upcoming assembly elections. Babu claims that Adityanath's statement coincides with the contents of the viral audio clip attributed to Rathore.
The letter concludes by calling for immediate action against Rathore and for the protection of Kharge and his family members. Babu also calls for the local police to take suo motu action against Rathore by registering an FIR against him. He further urges the Election Commission to disqualify Rathore for his involvement in criminal activities and for creating a threat to the life and limbs of another candidate, as well as for attempting to create fear in the minds of voters using undue influence. The letter includes photocopies of newspaper clippings and the viral audio CD as evidence.
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Vadodara car crash: FSL report reveals accused smoked marijuana, was not drunk
Vadodara: The main accused in the March 14 car crash in Vadodara, Rakshit Chaurasia, had smoked marijuana but was not under the influence of alcohol, according to the primary report from Gandhinagar’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Chaurasia, a 20-year-old law student, was driving a speeding car that rammed into two-wheelers near Muktanand crossroads in Karelibaug, killing a woman and injuring several others.
The FSL’s findings, as cited by police officials, revealed that Chaurasia’s blood sample tested positive for marijuana. Two others who were in the car with him—Praanshu Chauhan and Suresh Bharwad—also tested positive for the same. All three have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Chaurasia has also been booked under s. 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which deals with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He is currently lodged in Vadodara Central Jail. Chauhan has also been arrested, while Bharwad remains absconding.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 4, Panna Momaya, the blood reports confirmed drug consumption. "They were driving the car after smoking marijuana," she said.
CCTV footage showed the car speeding before taking a sharp turn and hitting the two-wheeler. In the moments before the crash, Chaurasia was seen behaving erratically, shouting "another round, another round," followed by chanting “Om Namah Shivay” and calling out a girl’s name, “Nikita.”
Later, Chaurasia told reporters that a pothole caused the accident and claimed he was driving at 50 km/hr. He also said the airbag deployment had obstructed his view.
